


Cuffed & Bound

by starrymeis (meiqis)



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Demons, Blood and Injury, Domestic Moments, Explicit Sexual Content, Getting Back Together, M/M, Magical Realism, Magical Tattoos, Relationship Development, Slow Burn, Workplace Relationship, additional trigger warnings in notes, magical abilities, this one... actually is a complicated story to define in tags
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-28
Updated: 2020-07-01
Packaged: 2021-03-02 23:13:30
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 77,882
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24414916
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/meiqis/pseuds/starrymeis
Summary: Jaehyun had spent most of his life on his own, a long time entangled with the demons bound to his skin. Unknowingly his story had been morphed from a hero's to a villain's, hunted and searched for by the general public.So what exactly was he supposed to do when he had fallen in love with the hunter trying to catch him as the prey?
Relationships: Jung Yoonoh | Jaehyun/Suh Youngho | Johnny
Comments: 42
Kudos: 76





	1. rising storms

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am! Back! Finally and again! haha
> 
> As you all will be able to guess while writing this, it was heavily inspired by the Punch preview pictures and from there I just pieced it together bit by bit!
> 
> After a long time again, I give all my love and appreciation to [Gems](https://twitter.com/galaxyhjs) who helped me with a lot of the plotting, the alignments and details to the story! ~~honestly, what would I do without her hhh~~
> 
> Some more rambling from my side will be included at the end so for now I wish you a good read ❤️
> 
>  **trigger warnings** \- mentions of blood and (animal) death. drugs(? it's a potion). drinking and alcohol.  
> Please remind me if I forgot anything!

“Jaemin!” He hissed, low under his breath, as he nervously tapped at the colorful marking on his hip, the flurry of blue that was interlaced by white snowflakes endlessly falling, coming alive at the upper part of it only to fade into nothing at its lower end. Just based on the design, he wasn’t shy to admit it was one of his favorites, but a tiny part of him still felt relief it was placed at a patch of skin usually hidden away, that wouldn’t possibly incriminate the reputation he held and had to uphold. 

“What do you think you’re doing?” He wasn’t allowed to do more than whisper, not with how small their cottage actually was, how easily sound could be carried around and possibly rouse the figure sleeping in their shared bed. Where he should be too, actually, try to get the rest he so urgently craved from how much he had to exert himself in the recent days. One weekend, that had been the original plan, one weekend of keeping up appearances, and considering how much of his powers it drained, he wouldn’t be able to hold out much longer than that, either. But this little spawn of hell in front of him, tiny satan with his blue hair - Jaemin had just needed to interfere. And now he felt like a meager copy of his original self, not even daring to look into a mirror with how deep the dark circles underneath his eyes might just be.

The demon in front of him, sitting on the dining table with his legs crossed and tugged in, looked nothing like he was supposed to. Jaemin thrived on the scolding, on the negativity his plans called forth because to his naive mind, it also meant that his plans were working. And in a way, they were, but definitely not the kind of way they were supposed to. “You like him,” the blue haired boy purred, looking as much like an angel as he was the entire opposite, with big eyes glinting with adoration and lips pulled into an innocent smile. 

It was why Jaehyun found Jaemin hard to deal with, at times. The elementarian was not behaving the way he was supposed to, he didn’t behave by the books and, as seldomly as about every demon seemed to, it was brought to new levels. Rather than being interested in causing chaos and doom, he was more like a little kitten demanding love and wanting to lick its owner’s cheek, pushing over flower vases and, at the same time, deluding himself into thinking to be cupid, as it seemed. 

A little child that was running around yelling wolf just because they were neglected by their parents but the parent in this story was Jaehyun and, by all good things in hell, he doubted he was giving this young demon too little attention. Not with how Jaemin had forcefully asked for it, especially. At the current time, manifested in front of him or not, it was an impossible deed to try to ignore the demon with how much of his magic he was draining trying to hold up his mischief keeping them trapped. 

For those reasons, he was a difficult one. Usually Jaehyun could easily figure them out, knew that his double tag demons were happy so long as he released them every once in a while to go on food hunts, knew that Aria just wanted to try on new clothes and indulge in expensive jewelry at any given chance. They had a mechanism, a certain kind of way in which he could buy their endearments but Jaemin… Jaemin, currently, could only be bribed by doing the very last thing he wanted to do. It was impossible to do what he was asked for.

“Just because I like him, it does not mean I can just do whatever I want,” he retorted as he allowed his head to fall back, glancing at the ceiling barely so illuminated by the flickers of fire burning in the demon’s palm. Jaehyun could have done with a lamp but considering that they were currently using up their generator’s energy to warm the house it wouldn’t have been too bright an idea. Which was funny in and of itself, he wasn’t even affected by the cold, neither the heat, thanks to Jaemin’s guardianship and yet, with how drained his powers already were, he looked more affected by it than the human in his bed.

Not that he wasn’t human, actually but… semantics. “Jaemin…” He sighed, struggling to sit upright again, feeling the burning lines against his throat from where Aria was warning him, telling him he was overdoing it. “I can’t do this… Not this,” he stated, as easy as it was, as it was supposed to be, but he could already see in the demon’s eyes filled with naivety and bright belief that he would not be released just like that. As innocent as the intent might be, nothing but the wish for a good love story, Jaemin was still a demon at core and demons, in their selfish strike, were willing to walk over mountains of the dead to get what they wanted. It meant trouble, nothing but pure and utter trouble, if the demon did not reign himself in.

The rustling of sheets and creaking of the floorboards behind him, in a different room, startled them both. Pulling his fingers into a fist, Jaemin extinguished his flame before he dissolved into a handful of snowflakes falling down onto the table, and Jaehyun ignored the pain that was his throat feeling seared by hot iron as he traced his fingers along the black marks. Instantly, he could feel the long dark brown hair cascading down his back, sense how his body morphed into a more slender shape, waist slimmed and hips a tad broader, the small weight on his chest. He could see how his markings were painted over by the pale hues of his skin and, just in time, for a moment later Johnny was stood in the entrance of the kitchen as the last tingles of transforming cascaded down his calves. 

Whipping his head around, Jaehyun looked at the human with his eyes wide open, lips parted in acted surprise. His ears were burning hot beneath his mussed up hair, the single trait Aria did not allow him to cover up because she thought it to be “so adorable, Jaehyunnie!”

“What are you doing here?” The way younger asked, voice pleasantly low and gruff, driving shivers down Jaehyun’s spine while guilt was sitting like bile in his searing throat. He wanted to scratch at his own skin, wanted to claw it open until the burning would soften but, inevitably, it would be fruitless and Aria upset. “It’s way too cold for you to be here, Rin.”

Pushing his lips into a pout, Jaehyun pointed at the bottle of water on the table before he held out his arms, a silent request to be held. Talking seemed like an impossible deed with how closed up his throat already felt, tense and burning, not even Aria’s flickering attempts at soothing it over seemed to help. It wouldn’t be long before he was burning out, until he was no longer able to keep up his female shape and had to reveal his real stance instead.

“Spoiled little princess,” the taller just laughed as he approached the table, strong arms wrapping around Jaerin’s slighter back, hooked beneath her knees to pick her up without fail. It was a mixture of efforts, Jaehyun could feel as much from the tickling low on his ankle, because Aria could change his appearances but a woman looking as slender as he did currently while weighing nearly as much as Johnny himself made no sense. Renjun’s efforts balanced it out, permitting him to seem lighter than he actually was as Jaehyun simply curled up a bit, wrapping his arms around the man’s shoulders and hiding his face at his neck. “If you’re that cold, you should have just come back to bed!”

Lowly, Jaehyun hummed, pressing little kisses into Johnny’s skin as he allowed the warmth to wash over him. Being old meant he was growing impartial to pain, sometimes it just took more than a few moments of ache, and as he felt he could ignore the searing sensation, he whispered, “At least I got you to warm my up now. My knight in shining armor.” He smiled at those words but, hidden away from Johnny’s immediate sight, he knew it was a sad one. This lovely bubble he had been able to keep up until then, it was growing and growing, and there was no telling at what time it would inevitably burst. Just for a little while longer he wanted to indulge in the warmth he was never meant to enjoy.

“And how,” Johnny asked, pushing their bedroom door open with his back and closing it with his foot, “do you think I am supposed to do that?” He asked, approaching the bed only to let Jaerin down first, brown hair splayed out across the sheets, back arching beautifully above his arm. 

“Hm,” Jaehyun hummed low in his throat, allowing his manicured hand to travel the markings on the other’s chest, bare skin warm beneath his fingertips, heated more the longer he kept touching it, “I think we could come up with something, don’t you?” He smiled, allowing his eyes to curve into crescents as his fingers pushed lower. For one last night, he wanted to keep up the illusion that he could be loved by the man who wanted his head. For one last night, he wanted to forget about the ache that was his magic running low.

★ﾟ.*･｡ﾟ

Jaehyun’s story had begun a long time before Johnny’s birth, many more years than he could count and thus, he had given up on even that. The name of the king at that time, he could only vaguely recall because memories were elusive like that. What he did remember clearly, though, was the first friend he had ever made. 

Back then, the village he had grown up in hadn’t looked upon him too kindly. He had been an orphan found in the woods and taken in by the closest living high priest, preaching and talking every day, a man who had been supposed to keep theirs and the surrounding villages save from the demon attacks that didn’t happen anyways. In reality, he had been one lazy man, enjoying the fame it had earned him and frolicking with young girls, willing or not - Jaehyun had detested him. So at any given chance, he had escaped from the temple and run into the woods, sometimes with some books he had stolen from the library to study the magic he was not supposed to learn, sometimes simply to stroll around all day long, before he’d be taking a beating at night for having gone missing once again.

There, in the woods, he had made his first friend. A lovely white dog that had been so cuddly too, and most of their time they spent sitting near the little creek, dog on his lap as he was reading through the magic incantations and remembering the according symbols and insignia. The days they spent like this had been peaceful ones, just him and his dog. But in a world like theirs, things weren’t always as easy as they first ought to be. 

It hadn’t taken long for rumors to surface, of the animals in the woods being killed gruesomely, with always only their hearts to be taken. Jaehyun had realized first, before the gossipping hunters in the tavern, that this was not about some wild wolf or bear. Those who went for the hearts were the demons, the little organs still pumping in their devious clutches to be devoured alive so all life could be taken at once. 

After this, reports kept coming and coming, about the hunt, that the high priest had requested a royal investigator to help them figure everything out, and what it had eventually come down to was Jaehyun finding his own little friend, the white adorable dog with its silky soft fur, to be the one with its snout stuck deep within a deer’s dead body. Eyes glowing read, the shouts of the hunt at his back, his rational side had told him not to do but how had he been supposed to keep a hold of his heart, of his little friend, if he would die right then?

On a whim, he had shouted an incantation and scratched open his skin, the black smoke rising from his veins to lure in the dog twice its original size, that had taken his place on his ankle. Half of a heart crafted of stone, feeling rough to his touch despite knowing it was only skin, and it was as much as he could remember of that day. They were his earliest memories but they, too, had grown fuzzy with age. What only remained was the marking on his skin, and his own surprise as he glimpsed it for the first time. 

After that, he hadn’t dared stick around for long, he had stolen money from the priest and gotten onto his way to head to where his little dog had insisted, the vague pulses of thought he could still feel now. He had been lead to a village at the far end of the country, where an evil spirit was rumored to run around, a little fox jumping through the air and making buildings float. It had been a funny sight, actually, seeing a house being held down by ropes tied to trees, a ladder tilted up to still allow access while entering another had felt like weighing a ton with every single step.

At that point in time, Jaehyun had used up all his funds and resorted to sleeping in the woods, and during his first night, laying on the cold ground, he had heard the careful sniffing, seen the curious eyes, had felt a snout poking at his covered foot. When he had taken off his boot, the fox had licked around his ankle, around his dog’s mark, and that time he had felt a bit more secure, had repeated the same process again, the same as that day in his homey forests. 

What had appeared then, in front of his eyes, had been the second half of a heart made of iron clumps and floating feathers, and it was then he had understood why his dog had yearned to come to this place. He only wished he had been wiser that night, as he had caressed his tattoo and felt the burst of energy rupturing from it, which had been about the last thing he had felt before he had passed out.

Magic was not a selfish trait of their world, it wasn’t like nobody could learn it but neither was it so everybody could. As it was with fighting and thinking, some had a natural tilt towards these abilities while others just had to work hard. The ones who usually were gifted like this would be sent to the royal schools to be trained, then be awarded with a job as a high priest or possibly even elevated to the court. But Jaehyun had not belonged to that sort.

Studying and learning magic had been one excruciating process for him, simply calling forth on Renjun and Jeno without passing out had taken him years to master but it had also been thanks to them he had been allowed to do more. Bit by bit, they had guided him around the magic that was not learnt in school, not the craft practiced by abiding the law, it had been darker arts, more powerful in nature and also so much more demanding. Yet they had also looked upon him kindly, had allowed him to draw from their force, and it had been that state he had returned to his village in over a century later. 

The houses had been forlorn, the temples abandoned, and the book he had learnt from he had thrown into the fires himself. Regardless of whether he had been taught magic by royal standards or not, he had been aware of one thing - his abilities in the wrong hands would do no one good. 

Another century or so might have passed until he encountered the next mightier demon, then another, and another. One by one, he was allowed to learn and he had to wager more often than not who of those he could deal with or not. A bunch more than ended up on his skin he had to send back to where they came from, and he heard them, the rumors surrounding him, whirling about the almighty lone magician freeing their lands.

To him, with his progressed age, it had come as little surprise that, eventually, the king was on the lookout for him. And it was surprisingly easy to break into the royal palace if one had the abilities of demons on his side, as it turned out. To jump from roof to roof without sound while being adorned with the clairvoyance that allowed him to predict where the next guards would show. 

The king he had been presented with had been a young boy, still a bit uncertain of the ways he was supposed to rule and insecure enough to feel threatened by a magician doing the council’s job by capturing demons. But the king he had left behind had been a friend, someone he could easily talk to, and he only regretted it when the next day he was faced with a drawing of his face and a bounty on his head. Humans, as kind as they could be, would always be intimidated by the force they could not control and, subconsciously, ever since that day, he had drawn a line between them and himself.

Inked into his skin where those who could not betray him, he had been forced to realize time and time again throughout the countless centuries he had lived, and one might think it was a lonely job, to build an empire of his own behind what could seen by the humane eye, when it was not. In the end it had turned out to be for the better anyways, with how he was bit by bit turned into a secret public enemy. The same court of magic that had turned into a governmental branch of investigation was after him still, silently attempting to hunt him down while merely their reasoning had change, from “a threat to the king’s name” to “siding with the demonic enemy” was not too much of a jump. Not in regards to how both were punished in the same way.

★ﾟ.*･｡ﾟ

Water was streaming down his back, warmed up by Jaemin instead of their generator to save them some energy, regardless of whether it was fueled by magic or not. He already had barely any of his own left anyways, drained to the bone and each of the dots making up Aria’s mask feeling as if a nail had been pierced through his skin. Not the little adorable ones but the three inch ones with an according girth on top. 

For that reason, as he had slipped out of the sheer nightdress he had worn, he had also laid down the appearance he had taken on, replacing slender curves by built muscles again, unblemished skin returning into a labyrinth of black that only seemed to be interrupted by the falling snow of Jaemin’s tattoo. Oh, how he wished he could regret having taken the elementarian in but alas, as much as he was bothered he was fond of each of his hellish creatures, or he would never have taken them in in first place. 

“Can’t you just let it be already…?” He asked into the streaming water, his eyes focused on the dancing snowflakes that fluttered around in joy. Mischievous little brat. Didn’t even bother giving him a reply of any sort, likely because it would’ve only ended with another discussion Jaehyun was not ready for because what it entailed he was not ready for.

Since the first day, and he was as aware of that as all the demons who had stayed with him at that time, he had never been supposed to let it reach this point. It had been supposed to be one-time-thing since the first time he had seen Johnny, that night as he had used first Yuta’s abilities to find out where that particular group of the branch had gone to and later Aria’s to lure in one of them, a handsome young man with wide eyes and rose gold hair who had given him quite the show on the dance floor. 

Halfway on the way from tipsy to drunk, he had been the easiest prey and, at the same time, seemed to have taken the most liking to Jaehyun’s looks of that day when he himself couldn’t remember them anymore. Not to say the agent had been bad company, right the opposite, but his eyes had traced to their team leader once, twice, and then he hadn’t been allowed to any longer after he had asked the agent to come to his place. 

A game, in a way, to lure in the agents of the different branches for a night who he, depending on his own mood, actually slept with or not, and once they were dazed enough to not realize his sneaking around, he could easily go through their phones and computers, looking for the information he himself wanted and needed, including the updates about his persona. At this point, he might as well have slept with all of their whole stupid branch and they didn’t even know, the biggest fish to own was right in front of them, but the secrets kept in the open were always the ones hidden best. Under no circumstance would they anticipate him to come pursue them, or else he wouldn’t be allowed to go around as effectively still.

Should go around as effectively still.

One reason he liked to keep it the way he had so far was simply that he had grown tired of betrayal throughout his life, it was exhausting and draining, and how hypocritical he was to be betraying Johnny right now. Just another point on the list as to why it had been supposed to be one night only, nothing more but nothing less, just so he could gain the information he had wanted. It would have been easy had it been only that. 

But Johnny… Johnny had just made it impossible like this, and he could feel the glee radiating from Jaemin’s patch, the simple fact that his demon, too, took delight by this situation of Jaehyun no longer knowing what to do. Trapped between his newest companion, his morals, and his heart, was there even a right way to get out of it all?

“You have to stop, Jaehyun,” his own voice echoed from the side and, as he tilted his head, he could see his reflection having moved, no longer standing beneath the shower stream but leaning with his arms on the chest heighted wall serving to separate the shower from the rest of the room. It’s rustic charm was actually appealing, an interesting contrast to the glass and curtains normally offered. “You can’t hold out any longer at the rate you’re currently going.”

He couldn’t help but let his eyes soften as he looked at her, because he knew it was Aria simply by the fact that changing appearances was her repertoire and thus, she was the one to control his mirror image to her liking too. Including the part where he could see his hair in the mirror change, as if a can of paint had been poured down his head, red dripped into his messy blue and brown hair, running down as it elongated until it was flourishing in red waves around a female body. Only his facial features were almost the same, the puffy lower eyelids, the pale pink lips, the dimples forming with her every word.

“I know,” he muttered, taking in the sight he hadn’t seen in quite a while. Just how long had it been since he had captured her… After his double tag team, she had been his second next demon to capture. Another one, vicious fire devil, he had been forced to release not long after he had trapped it because they had caused too many side-effects. It had been a cruel day, a cruel deed, cutting that demon not only out of his flesh but his very core, out of that part of his that spiritualists would call a soul. He wasn’t certain it was a soul, more than his accumulated life force, but it had hurt as if it had been just that. A soul he was no longer sure he possessed. 

Trapping a demon always meant binding them to his life force, it was the reason he had been able to go on for so long, by sustaining his own life through theirs. And it was the reason it ached so much to let them go, to have to cut off a part of himself, knowing it could never return for the demon bound to it could never be. A double edged sword, that was their bond, if they could be neither with nor without each other. Life forces fused, giving up a part of his own, the demons would vanish, never to return, gone forever. It was maybe the only method to finish their existence for good, and the guilt that ate him up followed him around for years. 

“Just…” He sighed, brushing back some of his hair and through a flicker of her appearance he could see his real reflection, his sunken eye bags colored a sickening blue, the way his cheeks had slimmed from exhaustion already. A wry smile built on his face, he didn’t know how to say it properly because he had never before needed to explain himself to them anyways. Usually they could understand him, but usually he wouldn’t have tried to hold on for quite as long either. 

Lightly, Aria raised her eyebrow as she looked at him, consideration evident on his face. “If he truly loves you, he will forgive you,” she spoke softly but oh, how easy it was for her to say. Because she was inclined to know what he was thinking and feeling but she was a demon, too, and demons knew no fear in the way humans would. And, undeniably, as much as he distanced himself, eventually he was still human, too.

“I deceived him…” For almost half a year on top, and he might have for longer if not for Jaemin’s interference. Stupid demon playing cupid instead of sticking with his hellish business. Little pest keeping this chaos flowing as if controlling the weather was an easy spell.

“You deceived most of us,” she pointed out and then, one moment to another, she was gone. They were still here, despite his deception. But, he wanted to argue, it was not the same, because all of his demons were bound to him while Johnny… Johnny was not. Johnny was a man who could just up and go, with Jaehyun’s head in his hand, because he lacked the energy to defend himself at this current time.

Regardless, which was the unfortunate truth, he had deceived some of them. One way or another he had offered a promise of an easier life he could no longer fulfill, because he lacked the power to fulfill all their wishes just yet. Which, perhaps, was for the better too, or he might actually become the public enemy who had all the power to rule this world of his own entirely, all thanks to the help of a few demons let loose off their leash. It was so absurd he wanted to laugh.

A knocking sound echoed through the door, followed a second later by Johnny’s worried call, “Jaerin? Are you okay?” Then, after another moment, “Have you been calling for me?”

With a silent scream, Jaehyun crouched down, face in his hands because, no, he had not been talking to his lover in the kitchen, and for a moment he had forgotten that Aria’s voice had been but an echo in his mind. Meanwhile his own voice had very well carried through the halls. “Please,” he whispered, in his still natural tone that softened up a moment later as he called back in Jaerin’s lighter tone, “No, I’m alright! Sorry, I must have been singing without thought!” Loud enough to carry over the sound of water washing down, it scratched in his throat, drained another tad of his energies. Oh, screw Jaemin who was so relentlessly feeding off his powers to keep this darned blizzard going!

“Alright,” Johnny answered, a hint of disbelief in his tone. Either he was weirded out by Jaerin now, whom he had never spent as much time with before, or he was growing suspicious, and the selfish part within Jaehyun’s heart just wished for it to be the former to allow for an easier cut. “I made us some tea so come out when you’re ready.”

“I will! Thank you,” Jaehyun called back, tone swimming with delight while his fingers curled into his hair in anguish. He wished the snowflakes on his skin would stop dancing because at least then he’d know that Jaemin had let up on controlling this stupid storm, and Jaehyun might be able to get through these last days until they could leave without a hitch. 

★ﾟ.*･｡ﾟ

The second time he had encountered Johnny was the first time he had also been allowed to talk to the man, and it hadn’t the least happened the way Jaehyun had hoped for. Usually when he met an agent, it was at a place of drinking or the likes, some place he was allowed to lure them in like a flower by its scent, tempt them, seduce them, leave them again. Like that, it was easy, because no one actually bothered to look for the company of a night spent, and especially not the agents with their constant need for thrill.

That day he hadn’t been in a bar but downstairs in a coffee shop rented out at the bottom of his office building to get his fix of coffee after a strenuous committee meeting that had about burnt all of the wires connecting his brain. If only old geezers didn’t enjoy talking as much… They had already protested so much when the young Jeong Jaerin had taken her father’s spot as CEO and, honestly, it just made Jaehyun laugh time and time again, the irony that was that father and daughter were the same person wearing a different mask. At least by then they had already stopped complaining as much, making it way easier for him to bear with everything. 

He could still remember how most of it had played out, in this very stereotypical drama way but at the same time it had been such an everyday situation… He had just been about to get into line for his coffee when a mother with her buggy had meant to pass by, requiring him to step back a bit and, promptly, walking into someone backwards. A certain someone who turned out to be the very man he had been eyeing some months before in the club and to say Jaehyun had been surprised must have been an understatement.

“Sorry…” He had whispered back then, in a tone a lot more shy than it was supposed to after he had just yelled at over a dozen geezers in a meeting room without any hint of conscience. Tall and handsome men just had that effect on him, he had made amends to himself, or tried to at least. 

But, it seemed, this attraction hadn’t just been one-sided, and Jaehyun might have felt upset about that if he hadn’t already spent so long changing his appearances it could no longer irk him. It was a face, a mask he put on and took off again, it didn’t matter any longer whether people looked at him more kindly in this appearance or that. What actually mattered was the fact that he was allowed to claim his position again and again, and if simply to prove them wrong.

“I didn’t mean to-” He had started, only to find himself cut off by Johnny’s hand wrapping around his arm carefully. It was a touch more intimate than what he was used to from strangers at this time, with how everyone would usually try to remain courteous and a bit distant. Sometimes more than soothing during the times he took on the face of a woman and sometimes annoying when he was evidently going for more which he could not get. 

“It’s okay,” the man had smiled, cute little wrinkles around his eyes Jaehyun had noticed already at that time in the club. On some they might enhance age, make someone look older than they were, but on this agent they looked nothing short of endearing. “Are you working here?”

For a second, Jaehyun had been confused at that, all the more when the girl working the cash register called them to come down the lane and greeted her with, “The usual, Chief?”

“Ah, yeah,” he had muttered and handed over his card to the girl before he had thought better of it, turning on his heel to look at the agent next to him to ask, “Am I allowed to invite you maybe?”

The same surprised he had shown a moment before, towards a question that had been faulted by his skirt suit as he had realized belatedly, had been depicted on Johnny’s face as well at that time. “Only if I’m allowed to repay you later,” the agent had finally said, and Jaehyun hadn’t been able to help himself as he had smiled at that.

“Let’s see,” he had hummed and gestured for the other to give up his order that had not been unlike his own. Just another oversized iced americano with a couple shots too many. It had made him smile as he heard it, turning his head downwards in an act of coyness before he had slid over to the end of the counter where their drinks were getting read. There he stopped, one arm on the counter, and looked at the man who was about the same height as him originally but if not for the heels Jaerin had to slide into, Johnny would have quite the attractive height advantage of him. “You need to woo me before, Mr…?”

“Suh,” the handsome stranger of that time had replied, “Suh Youngho.” Reaching out before Jaehyun had been able to, he had grabbed both of their cups and gestured to a table to the side of the shop, hidden behind a metal wire hung with little pots of plants, some of which had already climbed up the metal rods. Because Jaerin felt a responsibility towards nature and thus encouraged decorations of greens. “But most my friends just call me Johnny.”

“Johnny,” he had repeated slowly, dropping into his seat and crossing his legs, the tip of his shoe hitting against the agent’s calf and he had been just about to pull back again when seeing the dark spark in alluring eyes. So he had left it there, kept up the simple touch while he rested his arms on the table and leaned forward a bit. “But is it really friendship you would want to pursue with me?”

★ﾟ.*･｡ﾟ

Late at night, with Johnny fast asleep, Jaehyun found himself to have returned to his retreat at the kitchen, too drained to consider as much as pulling out a chair as he simply dropped to the ground. As he stood, he still carried long hair cascading down his back but once his ass was on the floor, he could only make out the black lines on his legs, the heart framing his ankle that had him aching with envy. Maybe had so since the beginning of time, since he had first heard how much they ached, how much they had yearned to be together again for so long when it had only been possibly with Jaehyun’s help.

He yearned for it because he could understand the sentiment, the longing for someone one could not have, but these two had been reunited again while he was sat shivering on the ground, wishing for all of this to end. For that reason, too, he had left bed once again, knowing he could no longer keep up his shape but he wanted some moments to prepare himself too. By hell’s burning embers, he couldn’t imagine anything worse than having his appearance slip in the middle of the night, waking up Johnny with such a surprise and thereby himself as well.

No, if anything, he’d rather come clean of his own, if only he knew how to do it, how to explain it all… One thing for sure, Jaemin would not let loose of his hold unless they had talked it all out, and with how little information the department had of him, with how wrong some of it was, this would be one long talk at the end of which Jaehyun, too, would only find himself to be compromised. To have to expose too many of his secrets to make sense of it all while, at the same time, knowing he was left without a defense… Inevitably, he was handed a stack of cards holding a single joker while all else would create his demise. 

With a grunt, his head fell back against the wooden doors and drawers, thunk resonating throughout the room and a dull ache spreading at the back of his skull. Pain really was a funny thing, he had already walked a whole day with a broken leg without hitch before, but this little bump felt as if he had been struck down by a truck instead. Not exactly a pleasant feel as he already knew from experience. 

A tickling sensation spread from his ankle, making him smile dully as he glanced down at it, at the way the rocks drawn shook slightly, feathers swaying in encouragement, a silent plead for him to cheer up again. With his luck, he would outlive this situation anyways, would outrun Johnny in terms of time, as hasslesome a thought it was. Sometimes he was tired of seeing so many people surrounding him pass away, the way it was slowly exhausting him, and it took another pleasant encounter again and again to cheer him up once more, remind him not all in life was bad. It was a fine difference, a barely visible line, but lacking the will to live did not always mean he was willing to die. If that would even work anyways.

Time itself, too, turned into a funny process if one had lived for as long as him, until the stretch of it he had spent sitting on the cold kitchen floor, listening to the winds howling outside, precariously blowing away the snow that was keeping them trapped in this house without letting up while, at the same time, never reaching a height that would inevitably bury them beneath, became indistinguishable. It made have been seconds only or it might have been hours, all he knew was that he was done - done with this situation, done with this strain, done with thinking and aching. Once Johnny would find him like this, realize who he was, there was no telling what would happen regardless. 

Just like time, just like his shower earlier, he allowed dread to wash over him, the insecurity that came with these things he could no longer tell apart because he was tired of it all. Starting this continued fling with Johnny, he had anticipated to be allowed to end it on his own terms, not to be trapped by one of his demons in a cottage hell knew where, stuck with an agent who wanted his head. If only Jaemin had paid attention to that minor detail as well…

By the time he heard the creaking of floorboards it all seemed so far away, out of his reach. He recognized this feeling, of reality slipping out of his fingertips, he had experienced it not too many months ago when he had called forth two of his mightier demons at once, when he had been able to hold on for only so long, until the hellish lord had been sent back and he had passed out on the streets. It was like then, desperately trying to hold on to every little detail just so he would not end up cutting off his flow of magic sustaining them, and even then, under these circumstances, he did not trust Jaemin to let up even then.

Whatever Johnny uttered the moment he caught sight of a naked man in the kitchen, barely able to see with the lack of light, Jaehyun could not make out. What he very well could tell apart, though, were the arms wrapped around his body heaving him up. Maybe the bad light was coming to his advantage at this time, he felt the frolicking joy of his little pest upon feeling besnowed skin touch bare flesh, the point of contact between the human and him, Johnny and Jaehyun, Johnny and Jaemin. It was hard to tell apart in his state who was who and what was whose. Whether that patch of flesh was his own or an extension of Jaemin’s.

“‘m sorry,” he had forced out, seconds before his body touched the sheets, fingers curling around the fabric as it touched his frame. He was burning out, like a candle nearing its last bit of wax, and it was making him too sensitive to the lightest of touch. “‘m so sorry, Youngho…”

Fingers were burning against his forehead, leaving a burning trail in their wake as exhaustion weighed heavily on his frame. Like a bath of warm water, it lulled him to rest, to letting his eyes fall shut as exhaustion won him over for good. He tried to move his lips, want to push forth these words, past his tongue, but they felt like lead and would no longer move. 

★ﾟ.*･｡ﾟ

Without opening his eyes, Jaehyun could already tell he was alone in bed, the usual weight dipping the mattress behind him missing, the sheets unnaturally cold. That in itself was an oddity, he wasn’t supposed to feel cold since weeks now, not since he had welcomed Jaemin into his flesh and life. Only a few weeks and already it felt too surreal, the fact that he couldn’t remember what the cold felt like and at the same time it felt too real, feeling it now.

His whole body ached dully, with every of his movements, be it wiggling his toes or turning to his side, trying to bring down his arms only to realize they had been bound do the bed, restrained not by harsh metal but soft fabric. It ached, trying to open his eyes and waiting for his eyes to focus, leave behind the blur of sleep and exhaustion as he directed them upwards, at the simple grey tee wrapped around his wrists in a makeshift cuff, tightened to the bed with a belt. Calling it upsetting might be an understatement, knowing that Johnny had tried to be nice even in a situation like this. It only added to the guilt coiling tight in his guts, feeling as if he were strangled inside out, everything tied up and wrapped around his frame until he was suffocating just like that.

Last night was a distant memory yet so clear, sensations but a vague shadow of reality, which did not mean he was not aware of what happened. That Johnny had found him in the kitchen and carried him to bed, a miserable imitation of the night before when he had still been allowed to keep up an illusion of being someone he was not. Not entirely, at least. Jaerin was him, in a way, she was an alias he had to take on to survive in this modern world without being found out and ending up on the hangman’s gallows. 

A good night’s rest, at the same time, had recovered a lot of his strength, now that he had no longer needed to keep up his appearances. He could, as strugglesome as it was, might be able to garner his magic for another hour or two to fuel Aria’s abilities once again, only it made no longer sense. Johnny had already seen his real form and, regardless of how lacking their branch’s informations were on him, the key points had been there, the information based on which they could recognize him. The tattoos, the amount of brandings of demonics he carried on his skin, were a remarkable give away of his identity, whether they knew all of them or not.

With a grunt, he rolled around, trying to catch a better glimpse of his restraints that would easily be torn apart by just using Jeno’s help but, for one, that shirt had looked pretty nice on Johnny, and another, he still had to save up his energies as well as he could. Jaemin was still stealing his strength, feeding off his powers and that, also, meant he was not at his best behavior just yet. Couldn’t be for as long as that blizzard outside kept raging on. 

“This really isn’t funny any longer,” he pressed out between clenched teeth as he rolled his hands around, trying to loosen the hold of cotton around his wrists, “Jaemin, I swear to hell and back- There’s no going on dates after this, I’ll ground you for a decade and-” 

A sudden jolt of pain had him screaming, falling back into the sheets from the force that had his body tensing up, sight blurring once again. Vaguely he could make out the glowing marks painted onto the strip of leather, invisible to the bare eye but revealed as he had acted against it, opposed a spell of trapping that had kept him locked in place. He wished he could swear at himself for being oblivious like this but that seemed plain stupid, after all, he would not only need to curse himself out but also to neglect his own vulnerable state like this.

Seconds passed until his breath had regulated, just in time to catch sight of a movement at the other end of the room, of the door being pushed open and another figure stepping inside. Jaehyun was no longer sure whether he could feel delight in seeing the man who had slowly been taking hold of his heart or should curl up with all these negative emotions swallowing him up. Emphasized furthermore by the agent looking a bare image of his real self, face closed off, a frozen mask, fingers tense where they curled around strong arms crossed above the equally tattooed chest, tattoos that had been created not only with spells, there was simple harmless ink as well. Hide where it was obvious, keep it in blatant sight to have nobody look. 

“Did you think me that stupid?” Johnny asked, body heavily falling onto a chair placed in front of the bed Jaehyun was occupying alone. Any single emotion there could have been in the recent hours was masked and, judging by the little alarm clock stood on the nightstand, there had been a lot of hours to produce such emotions. He had slept for longer than he had thought. “Jeong Jaehyun. Enforcer of the dark arts, partner of demons, enemy of the state. It must have been funny to you, has it not?”

“It’s not dark arts,” Jaehyun defended because, naturally, that was the first thing he could focus on right at that time. His body still felt strained from the shock he had just experienced, cold from being left alone like that. Had he any shame left, he would also feel sorry about being kept in bed naked but, alas, his focus was elsewhere, mind racing as he tried to sort everything out. “I never meant to deceive you…”

Somewhat, the agent’s right eyebrow raised and, being placed at the receiving end of it, Jaehyun could finally understand why that rose haired subordinate had complained about their team leader before. Anyone looking that intimidating would make quite the strict boss. In his younger days, even Jaehyun might have been affected by it but no longer, not when he had seen too many men behaving like elephants getting crushed like ants beneath his boot. Pitiful. If only he could bring up the same sentiment around Johnny, too…

“Look,” he tried again, tugging on the restraints forcefully despite the electrifying shock it sent through his body, gritting his teeth as he bore with it quietly, and forced out, “I’m trapped in this house just like you are. And I’m out of magic. So could you at least release me?”

“You’re trapped?” The younger repeated and, right then and there, Jaehyun could see the first emotion resurface. “The one you’ve talked to just now - was it the same thing you talked to the night before last? Is that keeping us in here?”

“He’s not a  _ thing _ !” The restrained almost growled in upset, none of his demons deserved getting insulted like this, no one but him was permitted to scold them anyways. So maybe he wasn’t walking flowery paths with Jaemin at the moment, it didn’t mean anyone was allowed to insult his demon just like that. Momentarily, the guilt he felt for having kept his identity hidden from Johnny was overshadowed by his upset, regardless of what their whole branch or him thought of demons in general, at least those kept by his side were his treasured companions. “He’s a little shit and he’s at fault for all of this but he’s also mine. A part of me. So don’t insult him.”

Unmasked surprise flashed across Johnny’s face, serving as a silent reminder to the older of what he had already forgotten, that the broad public did not dare think of their general enemy as an alive being or it would make hating them more difficult. Everyone could hate a monster for as long as it did not have a name. Seldomly they hated a monster carrying a name, because the one who had carried that name was forsaken in the name of a monster. At least that was what had happened to him.

Seeing that there was no chance at getting released just yet, Jaehyun grunted and shuffled around, turning his way and that just so he could sit up in bed, leaning against the headrest with his arms awkwardly bent to the side. So far, and that he had considered a good sign, Johnny had not yet released a word of warning or the likes to his moving around. At least it allowed him to messily pull the blanket up to his hips without fearing to get decapitated. 

“Is he the reason we’re trapped here then?” Johnny repeated, both eyebrows raised. Actually, the way the agent leaned forward, elbows resting on his knees, arms flexing softly, was quite the attractive sight if not shown during such a serious situation.

With an exhausted sigh, Jaehyun dropped his head back. He didn’t want to lie, it just didn’t mean admitting to it would become the slightest bit easier. “Yeah… He-” For a moment, he hesitated, could already feel the heat radiating from his ears a second before he had to avoid looking at Johnny, too. It was embarrassing to admit, even in his act as Jaerin he hadn’t said these words but with her, at least, he had had an excuse of acting the tough and cold business woman he originally was not. “He’s playing matchmaker for you and me… So you don’t need to worry about me harassing you, he’s using up enough of my reserves that I won’t even consider trying to start a fight with you.”

“The snow storm…” Johnny started, and the implied question was easily answered by the older’s nod. For another second Jaehyun hesitated, because he didn’t know how much he was supposed to reveal, all the same he was aware it was already too late. Now that one of his aliases was compromised, he might as well go all out.

With a bit of a struggle, he pulled the blanket aside and turned his right hip upside, showing the blue storm with its falling snowflakes that hadn’t stopped moving since days. “Is his doing,” Jaehyun agreed, gaze softening as it fell on the colorful hues depicted on his skin, “He’s affectionate and endearing by himself but… I think growing up in hell, he’s not really familiar with- Well, with how everything up here works. Including romance.”

Unconsciously, he wiggled his foot, adjusting it until he could see the heart frozen in place for a moment. It took his attention, enough so that he forgot to pay attention to Johnny long enough the other had to call for his attention with a little cough. Too fast Jaehyun looked over, caught a glimpse of the second of affection in the agent’s eyes who asked, “Elaborate?”

“Are you asking because of him,” Jaehyun started, head tilted to the side in question but ears warmed up with coyness, “or because of us?” It was unfair, that he still had to feel this way, feel his attraction for Johnny remain undying, because one of them had had nothing changed about them. Age… It was a funny thing, it made you question a lot of things, especially when everything could be changed, when appearances didn’t matter, when gender could be changed on a whim. One of these things he had questioned for himself was his attraction to others and, regardless of any of that, he knew that he had never felt quite as attracted as he had felt with this man in front of him.

“Is he not part of you?” Said man retorted, and with how surprising the question had been, Jaehyun looked at him for another moment before allowing his head to fall down with a snort. 

“He is…” But that was not a topic he wanted to indulge in detail, some things were better left secret, including the one behind his craft. The single book he had burnt as he had found it again, so no one could copy this magic that he knew, and use it in ways so different to his own. “So is that what you want to know about? Jaemin?”

Curiously, Johnny raised one eyebrow, this endearing habit of his. Aside from curling his lips if he so wanted. “ _ Jaemin _ ?” And then, like an animation in his mind, Jaehyun could see the dots popping up in the younger’s mind, blazing bright beneath a mess of brown hair, and a second later they were connected. “That ice demon? From some weeks ago? That wreaked chaos along the beaches?”

“He’s not a  _ that _ ,” Jaehyun repeated again, curling his nose in displeasure at the repeated mistake. “And he was just upset… Anyone would be, if they’re suddenly in alien surroundings, not knowing how they got there…” He might have too, in a far distant past, before he had been found by the villagers and brought to their priest.

“What are you? The demon’s advocate?” The chair creaked as the younger fell back into it forcefully, heavy weight colliding with flimsy wood. As much as the title might be upsetting, Jaehyun was not in a mood to fight. Fighting was tiring, and exhausting, and it was one of the reasons he’d rather find out about his enemies to evade them instead of having to face them.

“Live for as long as I do and you’d know…” He muttered under his breath, allowing his head to drop down, chin colliding with his chest as he tried to find the path underlying their conversation, just where this was supposed to be going. But he came up empty handed and for a moment had to wonder just when he had lost touch with humanity to this extent. 

“I’m sorry but,” Jaehyun started, shaking his head once again to get a clearer mind once again, “this might not be easy for you to understand, I get that but… At least don’t insult those I care about. I never insulted your colleagues and friends either, did I?”

That, it seemed, shut the human up for a moment, and it furthermore served as a signal for Jaehyun to lie down again, struggling with his feet to pull the blanket up high again. He didn’t have anything more to say at the moment, a signal that must have been clear enough to Johnny, too, who just got up with a sigh. “Call when you’re hungry, I guess,” the agent offered last before leaving the room. 

Jaehyun didn’t bother pointing out he didn’t any longer need food to survive. Nor that he couldn’t eat with his hands bound anyways.

★ﾟ.*･｡ﾟ

Originally, Jaehyun would have offered to sleep on the couch if, for one, he was not tied to the bed and, for another, they actually had a couch. As it turned out, just like the previous nights, sharing a bed with Johnny wasn’t bad per se, the additional warmth beneath the blanket was soothing, the dipping mattress comfortable, and neither could he protest when, in the middle of the night, the taller rolled around merely to turn into one clingy brat. It seemed, after one prolonged weekend spent together, after sleeping pressed tight together, that Johnny could not easily revert to sleeping alone.

Under normal circumstances, he might have taken advantage of it - now, as much advantage could be taken out of being spooned by someone asleep and while still so exhausted themselves. And he was, more than he had realized or would have been willing to admit, which might be the reason he could see the familiar red sheen curtaining everything. No, scratch that, it was the very reason he did literally see red, the very proof of Kun’s influence on him that kept lulling him back to sleep. 

Or it should, if it were not for another of his bout, if it weren’t Aisha washing dread down his spine, icy fingers that traced his spine and woke him from his abject sleep. It took a moment, between Kun and her to change their positions at the forefront of his mind, to shake off the red clouding his mind to focus on her abilities instead, on allowing his magic to ebb out in soft waves like a sonar. 

“Fuck,” he grunted, once he realized two things going on at once: Jaemin’s blizzard had let off and, at the same time, many more people than he would like were on their approach. “Fuck…” He repeated, roughly pulling on the restraints he had ignored in favor of pacifying Johnny but that one he could not spare a thought on now. “Johnny! Wake up, wake up!”

Roughly, he kicked the younger in the shin before he rolled onto his stomach to get a better look at the restraints that were still as simple as they had been before. Shirt twisted and wrapped around his wrists, tied up and around the belt that was attached to the wooden frame. However someone would come up with a method of bondage like that anyways…

“Johnny,” he hissed once more, nudging the agent who wasn’t that agent-like at that moment. Weren’t they supposed to wake up at any given time or however that went? They couldn’t possibly sleep through a demon attack too, could they? Another time, he glimpsed at the other who was still struggling with rousing for sleep before he looked back at the fabric around his hands. “This is… I’m really sorry.”

Whoever he was apologizing to anyways, when Johnny was not yet awake to see that beautiful grey fabric burst into flames that lingered around his skin, a silent but painful battle between magical ways to see which one would burn out first. Hexing material things always had a downside, namely that they didn’t last as long as alive spells, thus the outcome was determined before it had even started. It allowed Jaehyun to pull free once the first cracks in the spell appeared, cotton giving out before leather, and releasing his hands. 

“Sorry, sorry,” he repeated again, as he reached into Johnny’s luggage to pull out some clothes he had not packed himself, because he had anticipated to spend this weekend as a woman and not as a male. Underwear, sweats and a shirt would need to do, followed by his reaching into his own bag to retrieve only his most important documents, the wallet carrying Jaerin’s data and name, his phones, and then he was back to the bed and a very sleep-riddled handsome man.

Apparently, the younger needed another moment or two to process what was going on, much to Jaehyun’s luck who pressed one hand to Johnny’s chest, wallet stuck in between, before he whisper-yelled, “I’m sorry, this might be uncomfortable now.” He tried with a vague smile, just before he scratched his left palm open with the respective pinky. Sounded complicated, was uncomfortable, and if not for his sharpened nails, would be impossible. 

He needed to dug in deep to hit a proper vein, allowing the blood to run down his fingers and between his knuckles to the back of his hand, touching the outmost lines of Yangyang’s frame. An abstract one, it didn’t seem to have anything to do with what the demon’s abilities actually were and Jaehyun couldn’t care anyways. Not so long as the magic worked, and the sacrifice of his blood did its job. Another apologetic smile on his lips, he pressed his palm to Johnny’s bare stomach, allowing a second to pass, another, as the lines of his tattoo were slowly colored red instead of black. 

Working two spells at once had always been tiring, and how a normal magician was supposed to do it was beyond him, for he could simply allow Yangyang to work as Jaehyun focused on Aisha’s effects, on the flickering pulses of magic approaching them that flared bright like a smoke signal as a spell was forked. A few silent curses left his lips in return as he could sense the magic approach, and just as it hit the snow outside the house, erupting with a loud noise, startling Johnny for good, the plummeting feeling he had anticipated arrived.

This sort of magic had always felt off, it was like the sensation of an elevator heading down fast, when gravity did not seem to catch up with the movement and the pull was not aligned, as if the rug was pulled under one’s feet, floor suddenly breaking beneath their weight. A bottomless pit, it had opened beneath them and as fast as the fall had come, as fast did it disappear again. Instead, there was a harsh collision with the ground, the fluffy carpet barely blanketing their fall as they came crashing down. 

Exhausted, more than he had originally been, with stars dancing in front of his eyes, Jaehyun fell to his side, then rolled to his back, holding his hand above his stomach to not soil his carpet more than it already was. “Yangyang, I swear to hell and back, I will kick your-”

“You needed me to act fast,” the youthful voice echoed through the room, and it took the magician a moment to localize the demon he had unintentionally released from his trap. As usual, the demon was sat next to the cats Jeno had begged him to get, playing with Seol held tight in flimsy arms, hair turned blond for a change. “I couldn’t trace properly. And it’s not my fault the cats knocked the crystals over.”

“Little shit…” Jaehyun muttered as he carefully sat up, throwing his wallet and phones blindly towards where he remembered his couch to be before he held out his hand to Yangyang some feet away on the ground. “Want a bite?”

Belatedly he realized he had not come alone, actually only at the time the demon was at his side, bloodied hand held carefully as red eyes dilated, horns peeking out from blond strands and elongating, curling around like a sheep’s, while one slit tongue came out to lick away at the red drops. Because at that time, besides them resounded a startled gasp, along with a flicker of magic Jaehyun was quick to put out by slamming his hand on a crystal nearby. The one that had been knocked over by his cats. 

On Johnny’s face surprise was obvious, not knowing what to do being faced with a demon but magic withheld by a defensive spell and Jaehyun almost felt pity with him. Almost. “I did tell you not to insult mine,” he mumbled strainedly, glimpsing at his slowly less red hand, the color transferred to Yangyang’s long tongue instead, “And he just saved our asses so be a bit more humble, will you?”

“Saved us?” The agent echoed, voice drenched with disbelief and it was hard to get, a challenge in and of itself, that a demon was saving one of those continuously hunting them down. Well, not Yangyang, he had stuck with Jaehyun for too long to have yet been preyed upon. “From what? Another demon?”

“Humans.” Simple as it was Jaehyun stated it, pulling his hand free of his companion’s hold before he reached up, caressing along the golden horns that molt beneath his fingertips, engulfing the underworlder entirely before shrinking into a single drop that was soaked up into his tattoo again. As magic subsided, it turned from gold to black, stilling for another round of sleep until his next spell had to take place. “Take a shower. I’ll get you some clothes and meanwhile I’ll just-” Whatever he had wanted to say, he didn’t quite manage to. The moment he got up, he could sense dizziness overcoming him once again, the loss of blood and magic alike that was straining him too much. The last he could see was Johnny’s worried face before the world faded to black in front of his eyes again. 

★ﾟ.*･｡ﾟ

“How long have I been out for this time?” Jaehyun asked quietly as he watched Johnny moving around. Either it hasn’t been too long, considering his guest’s hair was still dripping wet, soaking into a tee he recognized as his own, or it had been that long the agent had abandoned self-restraint and taken a shower as per his earlier advice.

“About twenty minutes,” the younger replied, reaching for a towel to rub his hair dry, face hidden by the floundering fabric for a little while. It was a nice view, quite domestic, and it was inviting to just indulge in it if his more rational side didn’t tell Jaehyun to think twice. “I need your telephone.”

Every limb of his felt too heavy as the summoner rolled out of his bed again, carefully sitting up and moving into a standing position just so he could carefully make his way to the kitchen. His step was swaying a tad more than he would have liked, something that would pass soon again. “What do you need it for?”

“Report you,” Johnny answered, honest and easy, and to him it probably was easy. Now that they were no longer trapped in the middle of a blizzard but rather located somewhere in the city, reception was a thing again. Surely the agent had only struggled with how there was no fixed phone and all the mobile ones were passcoded or a bunch of agents would already have filed the apartment. 

“Would be my death sentence,” the older retorted while pulling open the fridge to get some basic ingredients out, some peppers and pork and other vegetables, whatever he got his hands on, just so he’d have something to do. Usually he would ask Doyoung to do that for him but currently he really couldn’t bother. 

Despite having his back turned to the agent, Jaehyun blindly gestured at the kitchen isle that held stools on one side, before that same hand started to work the coffee machine, two cups already placed. The questioning gaze he could sense too, an answer forming in his head that he simply could not oust because he was too tired to focus on two things at once, making multi-tasking a challenge he could not bear. “You probably just want to capture me and lock me away because you think I’m siding with demons or summoning them or whatever else you were taught. But those guys-” He flinched, hearing the coffee machine beep, and it entailed being embarrassed about his own flimsy state. Challenging demons and failing machinery really did not go well together.

Careful not to spill, he grabbed the two cups and placed them on the isle, sliding one over to where Johnny had sat down. Nervously, his fingers tapped against his lower arm, tracing the lines inked into his flesh, feeling the softness of feathers and rose petals beneath his fingertip as the demon reacted to his touch. “This magic I own… There’s a reason I didn’t teach anyone ever, Johnny,” Jaehyun started finally, trying to sort through the memories that had accompanied him for so long while trying to make sense of them all at once, “And trapping demons to turn them into your own magic - you really think people aren’t interested in knowing how it works to make use of it of their own?”

When he didn’t get an answer immediately, Jaehyun smiled at the other wryly and took a sip of his coffee. “I hope stir fry is alright with you,” he decided prior turning around to start cooking for good, until only the repetitive sound of his knife hitting the cutting board echoed throughout the kitchen. It didn’t mean he wasn’t aware of the eyes burning holes into his back, likely also taking in the slivers of black ink along his skin, embracing the sides of his throat and revealed low on his nape. Regardless, no questions came for the time being, weren’t asked over sizzling oil and the scent of fresh food spreading, which he felt thankful for. 

Minutes passed like this, of Jaehyun cutting and frying ingredients and Johnny just mulling everything over, and by the time he finally could present the plates loaded with the greasy treat that seemed more befit of his own diet than the agent’s, he could sense there were a whole load of questions waiting to be spilled. “Do me a favor and let’s settle on the couch,” he requested as he went along, heading through the kitchen’s other door that lead into the generously spaced living room, view of the city blocked by his balcony and curtains alike. True to his words, he settled on the couch, putting the food on the low table before he turned on the TV, switching to a news channel he allowed to run on mute, before his focus returned to the food.

“Lemme guess,” he asked, chopsticks pulling apart some clumps of vegetables to get to the meat stuck inside, “You wonder how my magic works if it’s to the point of people wanting to copy it. Then you’ll want to ask my age and each my demons, and then you’ll tell me how wrong everything you have been taught is.” Curiously, Jaehyun looked at the agent who looked a bit startled at the suggestions, a bit like a cat caught in a sudden rain shower, endearing and pitiful at once, it squeezed his heart. 

“That too but,” Johnny started, teeth digging into his lower lip in this certain way that shouldn’t be considered attractive at all, with how they covered the rosy part entirely, the kind of look better fit with big framed glasses and checkered shirts. But it was endearing on Johnny, or at least Jaehyun thought so. “Why didn’t you just leave me behind? And how do they know about your magic when even we don’t?”

“Ah…” Jaehyun just looked at the agent for a moment before diverting his head towards his TV, where currently a report of a government agent having been kidnapped was played. “You’re compromised. You’ve spent a whole weekend with me and did not try to contact anyone. What do you think they’re thinking?”

“I’ve spent the weekend with Jaerin-”

“You’ve spent the weekend,” Jaehyun interrupted to correct, “trapped in a cottage surrounded by a magical blizzard while, coincidentally, an ice demon has been caught by the very Jeong Jaehyun just some weeks ago.” His eyebrows went up in question, and he pried, “What would you be thinking then?”

Effectively it shut the younger up who only pushed around the food on his plate for a little while. “It’s suspicious,” the agent finally admitted, thoughtfully chewing on another bite, “But if I had explained to them-”

“You would have compromised me,” Jaehyun apologized, picking out a very generous piece of meat to stab with his chopsticks, “You would have told them about Jaerin, then they would have started a search on the company and I would end up losing it. And it’s a nice company. So I’d be sad if I were to lose it.”

The news switched up their reports, abandoning the story of a government agent having gone missing while calling forth a descriptions of Johnny’s appearance without actually having to add in a picture, to talk about a recent demon incident instead. A bunch of small fries that had been robbing banks to get their gold had been found, caged, and sent back to their dimension, the stolen goods now getting sorted for return.

“It was a king’s scripture,” Jaehyun finally spoke up again, picking through his plate until he found a particularly big piece of mushroom to chew on, “I told him about how I have demon’s trapped in my skin and that I can take advantage of their magic like that. Guess he only believed me because back then I was a rumored hero to the simple people… Well, he must have written most of it down and then someone found his scriptures on me some decades or so ago. At least that’s when I first encountered them a hundred or so years ago. They must have climbed the social ranks or they wouldn’t have known to track you down so…”

“So what? You want to tell me they’re like the Illuminati or something?” Johnny sounded incredulous, almost laughing in disbelief. It probably did sound that way, like some secret cult or the likes, acting hidden from the public eye and pursuing their goals. 

“I once got hold of one of them…” Which, well, didn’t actually end that nicely but the details Jaehyun was more than willing to spare, “They said they want to empty hell. So tell me,” he muttered, turning his head to look at Johnny in intrigue, “If you had the knowledge of a spell trapping demons to a vessel and the means to research modifying it, if you could bind demons to weapons or soldiers, what do you think they would do?”

Instantaneously, the younger shot back, “Is that what you think they’re doing?”

“Am I supposed to take chances?” Jaehyun returned, not willing to submit in a fight when he had been the one to carry the weight of it for so long. The effect was immediate, and almost as quickly he felt bad about having been so harsh on the other. He didn’t want to be mean to Johnny after what had happened, but his nerves were worn thin at the moment and it had been too long since he had needed to explain it all. If he had the energy still, he would have called forth Renjun or Doyoung to do the talking for him but, alas, he had not. And it was only noon on top. 

When the silence grew too heavy between the two of them, after he had so forcefully shut the other up, Jaehyun couldn’t bear it anymore, “I’m sorry for what happened between us. It wasn’t supposed to be that way but… Since the first time I saw you, you really caught my eye. And when you showed interest in me - Jaerin - too…”

“The first time?” One of Johnny’s eyebrows shot up in question, driving the heat to Jaehyun’s ears who avoided the look in embarrassment, head turned to the side.

“I’ve seen you in a club before… But I’ve already received a drink from one of your colleagues at that time so…” It went without saying that it hadn’t been his real form, or they would have immediately taken him down then and there, and it wouldn’t be a surprise if Johnny couldn’t recall that evening of his own.

Instead of all Jaehyun had anticipated, though, the words that greeted him next had him choking on a bite of meat, “I’m straight though.”

The younger didn’t bother helping him out as the sorcerer was trying to not suffocate, coughing some several times to clear his throat for good. It was a very funny thing to point out under these circumstances, something Jaehyun did not point out at the current time as he simply put his still half full plate away, placing it on the table once again. 

“Just,” he mumbled, still rubbing his still sore throat, “give me a few days time. I’ll try to figure out how to sort this mess out and how to reinstate your reputation and then I’ll just make you forget whatever happened with Jaerin and we can go back to you hunting me down and-”

“Jaehyun,” Johnny interrupted, hand around the older’s inked arm, interrupting the habit of rambling he had already gotten to know from Jaerin. It seemed likely the same person had the same habits, even if guised by a different mask, “If this is a project on such a high scale, shouldn’t you allow me to help you out?”

Looking at the agent, Jaehyun’s eyes softened with sadness. He didn’t are pull away from the hold when it was resembling an affectionate touch the most after all that had gone down, and the question that slipped his tongue might have held the most impact of all of this day, “Should I really allow you to leave behind all your prior beliefs? What I can show you, Johnny, will change your world.”

Without further ado, the hold around his arm lessened in hesitation, a commitment that couldn’t easily be made, and as much as it hurt Jaehyun could also understand. He didn’t comment on it further as he simply freed his hand and stood up, collecting their plates. “There’s a playstation in the cupboard if you get bored of watching TV. I still have your friend’s number so I’ll text him in your name.”

“What about you?” Johnny asked, twisting on the couch to watch after the older returning to the kitchen to store their leftovers for later and wash their plates.

“I’ll get to work,” Jaehyun simply answered. It would be tiring enough in his current state, he didn’t want to be faced with the other’s sight while already being forced to focus on what he needed to do. Doyoung would readily enough make fun of his sorry state anyways. 

★ﾟ.*･｡ﾟ

“You’re behaving recklessly.” Indeed, Doyoung was scolding him, while flicking through company papers quickly, several computers alight and showing email accounts, stock graphics, and project proposals all at once. No humane creature could possibly keep track of so many companies at once, Jaehyun also had been too challenged by that so maybe he had ended up feeling like it was a heavenly blessing rather than one hellish curse that time he had been allowed to encounter this demon of deceit. 

That didn’t mean he allowed his companion to deceive his business partners but betraying someone systematically demanded a certain amount of intellect and multi-level thinking he himself did not possess. Thus, with Doyoung by his side, there was no way he could possibly end with his business ruined, all the less with how competitive and eager the demon was. It was helpful, allowed him to wallow in his own thoughts while someone else cleared through his schedules and work in his name. It did not mean, though, that he was not aware of the challenging look he received from across the room, body hidden behind computer screens but face still on display. 

“You’re just dragging him into this mess because you’re not yet ready to give up on your stupid idea of romance,” the older went on, fingers relentlessly working the keyboards to reply to mails here and there. A striking contrast to Jaehyun’s hands who were busy only throwing a ball up and catching it again, trying to motivate his thoughts by making his blood circulate well. With a little thud, Doyoung slammed his hands on the table, calling for attention that promptly slipped the magician, ball hitting him in the face. “How are you planning on getting rid of him after he already knows all this?”

Carefully, the human pushed his lips into a pout and asked, “Ask Lucas for help?”

The demon’s eyelid twitched for a moment, little sign of annoyance, but who was to blame him when Jaehyun suggested this as if he didn’t have full control over the mentioned demon’s abilities. It seemed to spur another thought in Doyoung’s head whose eyes went back to skimming over the screens while talking, “Did you take another of Sicheng’s potions?”

“Yeah…” Despite knowing about the side-effects, had hadn’t considered himself to have another choice with how much was left to do that he was unable to take care of. It wasn’t like it was supposed to be a big deal, nothing but a little vial of glittery pink that tasted like eating dust but restored his magic for a while. Exactly because it restored his magic it was so dangerous, though. Infused with Sicheng’s flavor, it meant another energy mixing into his own, ruining the carefully built balance of strings that made up his own powers, and usually it left him defenseless for the coming day, not to mention the sickness rivalring a pregnant woman’s one. 

Scrambling a bit, he picked up the ball from the ground to start his game once again, throwing the ball up and catching it again, eyes fixed on his ceiling as he mulled it over. Johnny had never been part of the bigger picture and it had messed everything up, because now it wasn’t only about him, there was another person whose reputation he had to reinstate without incriminating his own safety. Just sending the agent back with a memory wiped clean wouldn’t do the trick, the magic could be sensed and in an effort to restore the images that had been lost, they might do whatever to the man in question. They had done more cruel things than that, too, so he didn’t want to rely on this plan. 

“Doie,” he started, ignoring the murderous glare burning holes through his skin because he had already grown too annoyed with the ticking of the clock at his back and thus needed to outdo the silence on his own, “What if we just take them down for good?”

An incredulous huff left the demon at that, the idea sounding about as smart as Jaehyun felt confident about the situation. But before he could be run over by the truck that were Doyoung’s arguments, he confessed, “I’m tired of this… The agents are one thing but I don’t want to keep running from a faceless enemy so can’t we just track them down? Find out who they are and get rid of them?”

In response, the demon released a heavy breath. “And how do you think we’re supposed to track them down, oh great owner mine?” The squeaking of the swivel chair echoed through the room for a second, drowning out that annoying clock’s ticking. Jaehyun would shoot it down if it weren’t such an expensive piece. “We didn’t get a proper clue on them in decades.”

“You really think that?” He stopped throwing the ball up and glanced at Doyoung, pushing his lips into a pout before he wiggled his toe in the direction of one of his book shelves, stacked with notebooks and diaries rather than proper literature. “You wound me, Doie!”

When the demon didn’t show an interest in getting up himself, Jaehyun grumbled lowly before heaving himself up off the couch to pull out the little book in question. Attentively he skipped through it until he had found the right page, the entire list of the political parties’ members he had cut down to a mere handful, now almost pushed into the older’s face. 

“These are the ones most likely involved with everything,” he stated, doing some finger acrobatics along the page just so he could point at the handful names he had circled in red only to add messy scribbles on the bottom of the page. “We’ll just need to find some dirt on them and I guess we can progress.”

“You really think it’s that easy?” The demon’s stare was harsh but, deep within the pitch black eyes, Jaehyun could also see a glint of interest. Deceit and defraud were ingrained within Doyoung’s very being, it was only natural it was drawing his attention, and that was also what the sorcerer had bet on. That little competitive streak within the older’s very being that would forbid him to be outdone by meager humans also hunting down him, hidden behind the alias of the mysterious Jeong Jaehyun. It was vexing for all of them.

“Only if it’s you,” the magician purred in return, distracted only by the queasy feeling in his stomach. The side-effects were kicking in earlier than he had anticipated and he was tempted to just down another vial, presented so temptingly on a shelf behind his demon if not that very demon was the reason he had to stop, too. Crude as he could be, he knew Doyoung would worry about him overdosing too much. “How much time do I have left?”

Pitch black eyes traveled the tattooed frame for a moment but, in lieu of a real answer, Doyoung only sighed. “I’ll do my best while I still can. Take a rest for now and try to get your bearings back first, Jaehyun.”

Hearing that, the human tried to smile cheerfully to lessen the burden on his demon’s shoulders before he parted from the grand desk to lay down on the couch again. “This is all your fault,” he grumbled, poking his finger into his hip where Jaemin was resting as well, almost freezing his finger off like that. Truly just a little pest, one that made him smile nevertheless. 

  


★ﾟ.*･｡ﾟ

Towel hanging into his face from where he had left it drying his hair, Jaehyun blindly navigated through his room, walking around furniture until he could reach his closet spreading along one of the windowless walls. “Aren’t you preferring to sleep in the guest room?” He asked without sparing a look towards his bed where he could sense Johnny more than he had actually spotted the attractive side of the younger sprawled out across his sheets. 

Furthermore, he could feel eyes tracing along the snake skeleton aligning with his spinal cord, tail curled around his tailbone, head resting just below his nape where it would barely so peek out past his shirt collars ever so often. “Xuxi,” he explained quietly as he pulled out a pair of briefs to put on promptly, dropping his towel instead, “He’s helping me out whenever I get into trouble. I got him when…” For a moment, Jaehyun had to halt his movements to think it over, and already could he feel the protesting wiggle of a snake’s tail against his behind, the way the echo of a reptile moved along his skin to curl around his throat. “Before Silla fell?” He tried, and even Lucas seemed to hesitate at that.

“Traitor,” he pouted, flicking the invisible head of the snake that promptly coiled back and returned to its previous place. Slipping into a pair of sweats hanging too loose on his hips, his hands moved up to attempt toweling his hair into a drier state again. Being without magic after one got a taste of it, having to manually get his hair aired out after he had been able to rely on Jaemin for a few weeks now, sure seemed like a hassle suddenly. 

“You talk to them?” Johnny asked from the bed and thankfully he realized himself that this was one stupid assumption to make. After all, he had already caught the rumored criminal to be talking to invisible people while still assuming Jaerin to be a real person, so talking now, it hardly should be a matter. “Then the one from yesterday-”

“Doyoung,” Jaehyun answered with a little grimace. He had almost forgotten that, after he had fallen asleep on the couch on the study, all of the day and night had passed, and before he had realized noon had hit him again when he had woken up retching and almost throwing up over his carpet. He had yet to recover from his uneasiness, had paid a visit to the bathroom more times than a healthy person was supposed to in the durance of an afternoon. 

A heavy breath escaped as he dropped onto the mattress, soft fabric bouncing around a bit before he rolled onto his side to be able to show off the flowers interlacing, mock orange entwining with columbine, spreading out along his flank, fluttering with an invisible breeze as he traced his fingers across their tender lines. “I doubt you’ll find him in your registers after your archives burnt down during the Korean war. Because he was the one who made your agent start the fire.”

His eyes were probing as they traveled Johnny’s face, looking for more than the obvious display of surprise at that confession. The great, great fire. He knew it had been a mystery among the bunch of them ever since it had happened, had caught on to the rumors before they been shut down again, a ghost story among their ranks. Back then, it had taken him a while, too, to find out just who exactly had been behind it, and from the first moment he had known, had been certain of needing this one demon in his life. 

Using a pillow for support to keep his head more upright as he watched over Johnny, he reminisced the happenings back then for a bit. To say Doyoung had brought in some great investment at that time wouldn’t be a lie, a demon created to deceive and trick made one great businessman, after all, and up to this day, Jaehyun couldn’t be sure all their business went according to law. Not that he cared, no witness needs no judge, what they didn’t know might as well have never happened. 

If it were to him, he could have spent all night just watching over the younger with his mirthful eyes and perfectly plush lips, the pondering look simply charming. At this point, though, Jaehyun couldn’t tell anymore whether brooding men simply were his type, rather he wanted to call it a simple Johnny-specific effect. Too much time had passed since he had last allowed someone to come close to him like this, not to mention talked about his companions with. 

“I’m still curious,” the agent finally started, unsurprisingly, and moved further into the sheets like Jaehyun had done, laying on his side, head supported by a hand. It was up to Jaehyun to reach for the light switches on his side of the bed, turning on the LEDs attached to the top of his bed frame. Soft yellow replaced bright white, turned the mood into a softer one than it was supposed to be when one of them was kind of held in this room against his own volition. “How does your magic work exactly?”

Carefully the older studied Johnny’s face, looking for the spark of deceit he could not spot. “I can’t tell you the spell...” He had never told it in all those centuries of his life, when he had seen the first king rise and fall, humanity developing, steadily moving forth, while always getting beaten down by demons again and again. Wreaking havoc, causing chaos - it was inked into black blood. “But you can imagine my magic like a flower. Every petal is another demon, irrevocably connected to my core they protect me while I nurture them, I guess. Whatever wish they have, it’s my responsibility to help them achieve it and, in return, they lend me their powers and prolong my life.”

“So even a demon doesn’t bite the hand that feeds it, huh,” Johnny marveled and, albeit it was a mean comparison and said demons had their emotions ranging from sulking to upset, Jaehyun couldn’t help laugh at that. 

“In a way,” he agreed and shifted to lay on his back, arms crossed behind his head as he stared at the ceiling taped with pictures he had taken of them. There weren’t many, phones sure had made it easier for him but not every time did it work out. “But aren’t you the same? All of you agents are recruited only if you never had a demon case affect your life, I heard. So they, too, are only doing it so it doesn’t come biting them in the ass.”

Some might call it a shame, that a lot of magicians are turned down for reasons they could not understand once they applied at the government branch, referenced this way or that instead. As many people there were able to form magic, though, as little could also put it to work. Nothing but tricks by the sleight of hand, light a candle, make a coin disappear, when those without magic could do as much. But the real fun only happened when that level was surpassed, when abilities shot up like flares of light illuminating Aisha’s perception. 

“I’m surprised,” he finally said, wiggling his toes a bit under the blanket. Sleeping for so long, being trapped again after he had just gotten free from a blizzard keeping him inside, he felt his physical energy piling up. Vastly different from his magic that, like a glass getting filled with drops of water only, he felt to refuel only so slowly. “You didn’t yet report me, neither did you try to flee. What’s your reason to remain civil so far?”

“You don’t kick a dog on the ground.” Johnny returned, a low blow, words that resembled a kick to the guts. Tiny sparks of hope Jaehyun had not been aware he had harbored, he felt them get crushed beneath combat boots, cruelly, violently, harshly. “So I’m waiting and learn.”

“I’ll tell you something then,” Jaehyun confessed, frozen smile on his lips as he turned his head to the side, “I won’t fight you even if you force me to. But before you jump on that, I’m not defenseless either. Is that why you share a bed with me?”

Carefully, Johnny laid down on bed, got into a position as comfortable as was Jaehyun’s who reached up to turn off the light. “Yes. Is it because of what happened with Jaerin?”

“Because of what happened with you,” the older confessed into the darkness, not wanting to see the reaction anymore. Eyes closed, he turned his back to his guest, waiting for the restless sleep he knew would come this night. 

★ﾟ.*･｡ﾟ

“What do you think about going out tonight?” Jaehyun asked while swinging himself onto the counter, picking up the bowl of cereal he had placed down some moments ago. Considering it was already well past noon yet he was sat around with his breakfast treats, he wasn’t exactly the picture image of a good host. On the other hand, he probably hadn’t been a good host since the moment he had basically kidnapped Johnny to this apartment, be it for the sake of safety or not.

Sitting in front of the kitchen isle, the agent raised his eyebrows in interest, head tilted slightly forward. After having washed in the morning, the younger’s hair adorably flopped into his face, giving a softer touch to the otherwise stern man that Jaehyun honestly appreciated.

With a little shrug, the magician looked into his cereal bowl for a moment, mixing the little flakes with milk properly before he explained, “I need to gather some information and you said you want to do the same with me, didn’t you? Also, the news didn’t put a picture of you so you’re probably safe to come with me without getting recognized for a while. Unless you’d rather spend another night with my playstation…?”

“No, no,” Johnny was quick to deny, waving one hand to underline his statement, “I haven’t gotten a chance to go out in a while so I’d gladly come along.” Intended or not, warm brown eyes darted to Jaehyun’s hips where the ice demon’s tattoo remained, unmoving snowflakes this time around. The indication was clear, they both were well aware that both confinements they had suffered in a row were somewhat the looked for magician’s fault, regardless of not saying it out loud.

“Great. I’ll get you something to wear later then. They have... a dress code,” Jaehyun warned because, regardless of Johnny currently not having any clothes of his own, he thought it only right to point out that they wouldn’t exactly walk in there with jeans and a button down. More like the exact opposite. “You can just get drunk on my expense then.” To support his offer, he pulled out one of the credit cards on his name, flicking it over to the kitchen isle. While it carried the name of another of his aliases, it wasn’t a grand one, a throwaway account like prepaid phones for illegal deals. If anyone were to find it and use it for investigation, all it would surmount to was a dead end. 

As quick as the agent had picked up the card as soon it was inspected carefully, the run-of-the-mill name printed on it, it’s very casual look. While it didn’t have the best conversion rate in regards of his spending limit, at the very least it could get a whole group of people drunk unto hospital. Still looking at the card, flipping it between his fingers, Johnny asked, “And what will you be doing while I get drunk?”

“Get information,” the older responded, as if it were the most obvious of answers. Since he had declared just that earlier, it seemed to logical that this would be the outcome and, while he had not yet shown hesitation in taking Johnny along, partly because he felt guilty for keeping him tracked like that, he was not willing to reveal every little secret. Some things were better left unsaid in certain situations. “Depends on you how much fun we can have after that.”

“I’m straight,” Johnny repeated, a simple declaration, an easy rejection. It was easy enough but this time around, it was Jaehyun to smile in amusement.

“Trust me, I know that,” he answered, and for a moment he was more than willing to request Aria to change his appearance only to tease the agent some more. A fleeting moment, because too likely it would backfire on him. Instead, he just grinned smugly and added, “I had a good time then, too.”

Into his cup of coffee, Johnny snorted. “I’ll take that as a compliment then.”

“It was one.” Jaehyun smiled as he dropped his by now empty bowl into the sink and slipped off the counter. “I’ll prepare some stuff for later then. Just feel at home, big boy.”

Johnny nodded, and Jaehyun took that as his cue to leave. He did have some contacting people to do, after all.

The club was no more nor no less than what anyone might expect of a club of that size, bigger than the average Korean ones - booming music, two crowded bar counters, and colorful lights flashing around. A hotspot for magic wielders, not only because of their exclusivity but because most not affiliated with the legal terms would know to buy supplies at this same location around daytime. In a funny way, it might be considered a strip club for magic, and instead of naked skin and pretty dancers enchantments were adding to the mood, came in the form of sparks floating in the air, reflecting the strobes, were pillars of fire that didn’t injure anyone, was smoldering fog covering the floor bubbling up from unseen sources. 

Pretty much everyone was either a higher ranked magician who hadn’t been recruited by the government or affiliated to those. There were sufficient people who had received rejections from politics and had either started a business of their own - like party services or those promising a wedding to indeed be the most magical day in life - or were in other official jobs, had turned into healers or supporters. Sicheng, for example, belonged to the latter, and he was also who Jaehyun was looking for this night.

Stopping at the less busy bar, Jaehyun pulled out the credit card he had pocketed again earlier while, supposedly coincidentally, he brushed his shirt upwards a bit, touching his blue colored skin to call for Jaemin’s attention momentarily. Like this, he was able to allow a blue flame to rise from his fingers as he snapped them, a cold fire that was used for looks rather than hurt, but got him the attention he would ask for anyways. Instantly, the red haired barkeeper’s eyes were on him and said man skipped over to their bit of space.

“His drinks,” the sorcerer called out as he pointed at Johnny hovering behind him, “are on me tonight.” Despite the horrible club light that not even the LEDs built into the bar could counter, he could see Taeil’s eyes dart to the agent. It would be hard enough to tell him apart from all the other club goers, which was exactly why Jaehyun had opted for the clothes he had eventually chosen, the blazer with no shirt beneath that revealed several of the younger’s tattoos that were a better hint at someone’s personality than their face.

In return, the barkeeper gave him an okay sign before pocketing the same credit card that had been handed over, the one Jaehyun had shown to his guest in the morning. “What do you want for starters?”

“You?” The demon owner grinned, eliciting a mixture of amusement and bufflement from the redhead. At the same time, he reached around to hook his arm around Johnny’s waist to ask for his attention, before nodding towards the drink menu seemingly written on an invisible board when, in reality, it was just another enchantment. Not too much unlike what Doyoung could do, too. Deceit, after all, had a lot to do with appearances and faking as well. “Whiskey on the rocks,” he told his acquaintance meanwhile and the younger must have given a sign of agreement because Taeil reached for two glasses but one bottle.

“So this is where you go to party?” Johnny asked, not needing to shout as much as one originally would need to in a club. It was the wonderful effect of magic, of a medium strength silencing spell marked with lines of iron poured into crevices on the ground. Jaehyun could still remember when they had been painted, until it had chipped off and the spell had become useless, the barkeepers barely understanding orders anymore that night. It must have been at the beginning of the previous decade, when the club hadn’t been open for too long yet. Beginner’s mistake, it had also been faulted on not yet being able to assess the longevity of the club.

“Sometimes,” Jaehyun admitted, but not always. Governmental officials like the magic ministry’s weren’t too happily received, it was exclusive in that way, and that both meant it was a nice change and not his area of target. “I don’t need to keep up pretenses around here.” Ink of magic was as commonly seen as the normal kind, permitting him to drop Aria’s veil of skin hues to fall like a theater curtain the moment he stepped inside. Few knew of his magic and even less were inclined to ask.

Taeil placed their drinks down and Jaehyun nodded his head to indicate they head down the length of the bar counter to where a few spare tables were placed. Not too many actually lingered around, more inclined to have fun on the dancefloor or engage in the little displays of magical abilities going around. Most of those who did that, as he had come to realize throughout the years, were those meaning to have fun for the night, similar to guys showing off their well built bodies in normal clubs to find a girl to stick around for the night as well. 

As the tables offered no seats, he simply leaned against the wall, taking in the sight of the many people having fun, the way they seemed so free, letting go of their daily stress. Naturally, as the club was almost always void of the government’s reign, a few of those affiliated with the humane underworld were around, those who would injure the people the doctors they flirted with stitched back together. An ironic sight, if looked at closely, but not the focus of his attention. Jaehyun’s eyes were focused on the flimmer of magic, the film that cut off the sound that could not be perceived by everyone. Even Taeil, as talented as he was, had blanked when the older had priorly asked about it.

In nearly one go, he had downed the contents of his glass, savoring as the whiskey burnt down his threat in pleasant ways, in that of spreading warmth and enveloping his insides, rather than making him feel the way he had done the day before. In retrospect, everything since the beginning of the prior weekend felt like dragging on for too long, made it seem unlikely it had been only a week. Too much had happened in too little time. 

His eyes fixed on the carpet draped along the back wall of the club, running along behind the DJ booth, looking for the movement that didn’t fit with the vibrations caused by loud music and people moving around too much, by the AC blasting to keep the air fresh. Used up air would only end up making people feel tired and tired people sure didn’t spend as much on drinks anymore. Raising his glass to his lips for the last sip, Jaehyun glanced at his companion only for a short moment, not to get tempted by the attractive sight he had brought upon himself all on his own. “What do your tattoos mean?” 

Surely he wasn’t talking about the lengthy one decorating the agent’s lower arm, the one serving like an agent’s badge, used to open the portals to the other dimension called hell to send the demons back to where they had come from. Based on what Jaehyun had learnt throughout the years, it also served as some sort of coming-of-age insignia, a dead giveaway they were not mere trainees any longer. As a high maintenance spell, it also told a lot about the wielder’s abilities.

While serving the same purpose as Yangyang did for him, though, they did look a lot more like what a spell was supposed to transfer. It might be the most drastic difference between his own ability that allowed him to trap demons and the manually drawn ones, the simple coefficient of aesthetics. Nobody would suspect swirls and shadows even Jaehyun had spent hours on deciphering as sheep horns entwined to be a translocation spell while those from the books sure did. Circles of varying sizes forming rings with the incantations written in their layers, overlapping and entwining - magic was an art, a science, and like geometry their spells were coaxial and symmetric, a play of minute evenness as well. 

Johnny seemed to realize it to be only fair, after Jaehyun had already given away a lot of his unrevealed facts, that he do the same, thus a finger, stained with a drop of condensation, tapped against the written words slightly off to the right.  _ Youer than you. _ “It’s a truth spell. I got it during my trainee days because not many in the branch hold that ability we need for interrogations.”

An impressed whistle escaped the older’s lips, a truth spell wasn’t easy and neither had he expected such kind. Priorly, he had simply believed Johnny wanted to be  _ edgy _ or whatever the kids nowadays would say. Slang wasn’t his expertise. “Useful,” he admitted, and more of his respect was attached to the fact he hadn’t yet seen it to be used outside investigations and interrogations. Just another proof of how high the agent held his job. Maybe things would be different if Johnny had done just that.

Looking at it belatedly, it was a surprise he hadn’t thought of asking about them earlier, regardless of whether or not Jaerin was not supposed to be able to work magic, everyone in their world knew about it. Out of curiosity, she might as well have asked but, similarly, there had been better things to be curious about instead. Especially when thinking of at just what times he had been presented with the sight of those tattoos exactly.

Jaehyun had just motioned for Taeil to prepare them another round when a movement at the far back of the room caught his attention, namely the curtain shifting, blue hues radiating. So long as no one else picked up on them, he would have just enough time to down his second drink, too. With a little pat to Johnny’s back, he left their table to make the few feet’s way and get their drinks which he promptly placed down again.

“If you’re looking for fun,” he pointed out, ignoring how his chest tightened at his own words, at the images he would drown with his drink right after, “I’ll be taking a while.” He didn’t want to go into further detail while at the same time it only seemed right to state just that. Just because he could still feel his heart clenching tight and his ribs feeling too confining, it didn’t mean Johnny was the same. Because Johnny had been in love with Jaerin, didn’t need to suffer the whiplash of seeing the person you liked right in front of your eyes.

“Good luck to me…” He sighed into his glass so quietly it might be audible to no one but him, and gulped the liquid gold down in one go. Hitting the table, the glass made a sound and the ice cubes within clacked around, one that was swiftly left behind as Jaehyun made his way through the crowd and behind the DJ booth. Hidden from innocent gazes, it was where the two halves of the curtain overlapped and the door behind was covered well. It was the very door he opened, barely seeing the blue hues going out as the wooden frame fell shut behind him.

The hallway was considerably short and the room it opened up to was more than cozy, cozier than the club, definitely more up Jaehyun’s lane with its velvet benches and soft loveseats. One of which he promptly dropped into, laying on his back with his knees hooked to the armrest as he pulled a slip of paper out of his pocket to hold up into the air. “I need informations.”

“You need manners,” Sicheng corrected before, swiftly, grabbing the paper from the older’s hands. Settling in the loveseat across, the sorcerer opened it first, then skimmed with his eyes across the short list of names. “Politicians?”

“Just,” Jaehyun pouted, lower lip jutting out, “give me some dirt on them. Whatever you find.”

“Old people are so entitled…” Yet, there was no hint of denial as the paper seemed to disappear into thin air, forwarded to whoever was in charge or put aside for later. Being called old was already as harmless as it could get, to the demonbound it was still haunting to be referred to as fossil or ancient, making old definitely a nicer term. “Who’s the pretty boy you’re with tonight?”

“Date.” Jaehyun shrugged lightly while pushing down the sleeve of his shirt, revealing the tattoo of a bow on his right arm, the arrows so delicately drawn, made of feathers and rose petals rather than iron and wood. “The usual payment?”

“Later,” Sicheng agreed, getting more comfortable in his own chair. Head supported on one hand, the witch gave his guest a good once over, followed by glimpsing down at the hallway and beyond. “He’s not alone.”

“I know,” the older sighed, pulling the black mesh up to his wrist once again. He had been aware of how this night would end before it had even begun. “You wouldn’t like him.”

“I like my secrets.” That said, the younger got up from his chair to retrieve a bottle of gin from the grand desk stacked with vials, gold, and papers, receipts of jobs done or awaiting, the finished products similar to what Jaehyun would usually purchase. Truly, a magician dealing with the less law obedient and not reporting them was better advised sticking to their secrets, an agent wouldn’t fit in. 

Pouring two glasses and adding only a swig of tonic, the Chinese returned to their little space and placed the drinks down. “You know I don’t like his kind here.”

“You shouldn’t like mine either,” Jaehyun retorted, shaking his arm to emphasize his words and using that same to reach for his drink. Might as well be his last for a little while. “When should I send Kun over?”

“I’ll contact you.” Sicheng’s words weren’t a lie, he would contact Jaehyun albeit the means of doing so were quite unusual. To use a summoning like this was rather unheard of but, for as long as it worked, it was just fine with the demonbound. More than that, for while it lasted, his own powers would be amplified by a notch, and the information Kun would retrieve after using their certain kind of shortcut had always been spot on. Not many would dare doing it quite like Sicheng.

Silence was embraced by them as they finished their drinks each, the older more calmly than he had before as he simply took advantage of the moment. He hadn’t seen Sicheng in a while, a breath of fresh air, and to the sorcerer, too, it must be a welcome change of pace, to get away from the always busy club and people like this. 

Minutes ticked by like this, juniper on their tongue but something else on their mind, until even Jaehyun felt like time was passing too weirdly like this. His drink was empty and his heart was racing, fearful at the thought of returning to Johnny and what would anticipate him there. “Well,” he sighed as he sat up, tilting his head to look at Sicheng, “I’m glad to see you’re doing okay so far. New healer’s nice?”

“She is,” the younger agreed, short hair looking more ruffled than it had been during their initial encounter, and Jaehyun smiled empathically. Without further ado, because goodbyes and farewells had always only been uncomfortable to him, he pushed himself off the couch and headed back to the club with a short wave of his hand. It was time to find his agent again and head home, he was tired and strained, still, magic flowing out of him in a stream more steady than he would like. 

Much to his surprise, Johnny was still placed where he had been left behind, a tad closer to the bar, involved in a messy conversation with Taeil, and Jaehyun stopped just outside the barrier. It felt wrong, ironically, to intrude on a talk a dozen people around could overhear because he was the only intruder. Because he was the only liar. Symbolic as it was, it was a line he did not want to cross, did not want to push borders he had helped establish, did not crave to break boundaries Johnny might have set.

Before he could get too much into his head as he always did after a drink or two, Taeil must have noticed him. Nudging the agent first, the barkeeper pulled out the credit card next but Jaehyun only shook his head. He didn’t need it back, might as well keep it around for his next night out. 

At least Johnny seemed to get the hint, swallowing the last of his drink prior joining the older again, music blaringly loud in their ears. “You didn’t find someone else?” Jaehyun asked just loud enough, hand closed around the younger’s elbow as he guided them through the people and to the staircase leading up, to where the entrance and the hosted wardrobe remained. With how warm the weather had been this night, they hadn’t taken advantage of it, and even if, having a fire elementarian in your repertoire assured certain privileges.

The further they got up the stairs, the less ear shattering the music was, and Johnny shook his head, barely visible to Jaehyun from the corner of his eyes. “No. I didn’t exactly feel like it…” A nice way to put it, this weird situation of theirs. 

Jaehyun just shrugged it off as he climbed the last of the stairs, his hold on the younger long since gone but he missed the sensation of warmed up skin beneath his fingers, regardless of the layer of fabric in between. “You know,” he suddenly started, words echoing uncomfortable around the emptiness of the entrance hallway, “During our first date in the coffeeshop, I didn’t mean to deceive you. It was coincidence I met you there. If I had planned to actually toy with you, I would have approached you in a club.” As he talked, he reached for the handle at the heavy door, pulling it open without hesitation. “But you did this intentionally, did you not?”

Yellow light flickered, illuminating the street in front of the club, effectively keeping the people away. No magic wielder, and all the less the innocent, wanted to be around while that color of light sirens was shown, no one wanted to be in the way of the ministry as it investigated upon abuse of magic or, worse, the appearance of a demon. In a way, Jaehyun surely was a demon to them. Must have been to Johnny or things would be different.

“You’re not surprised,” the younger stated, yet neither of them moved, remained stuck in their position while some stranger of the branch shouted something Jaehyun could not understand. Not for a lack of ability but of focus, his thoughts spiraling around Johnny as much as his eyes were fixated on him. “How did you know?”

Sadly, the magician smiled. “Remember the story of the king?” 

For a second, recognition flickered through dark orbs, but Jaehyun didn’t care. It hurt, more than anything, and he wasn’t sure whether he was more disappointed in Johnny or himself, for having hoped for more than this and, at the same time, he didn’t even know what he had hoped for exactly. 

“Betrayal lies in human blood,” he finally stated, and he knew it was hypocritical for his own blood had yet to change to black. Yet he could not care about Johnny’s possible excuse, only pulled the door open wider, leaned into the metal, warm fingers against cold metal against his revealed side. Magic trickled out of him stronger, the dozen flaring lights on Aisha’s radar, a fight he could not win in his current state.

No longer did he bother with using Aria’s powers to hide his true self as he stepped out of the building and into the awaiting arms. He accepted the cuff on his wrist, to be shoved in a car, did not dare look at Johnny again. Deceit was such a humane trait, it was cruel and rough, and it was cold-hearted in a way Doyoung could never be. Because humans knew better of feelings and their effects than a demon ever could. 

He felt bad about his own thoughts a moment later, as anguish sweeped his body with his contractors’ disapproval, their unanimous agreement to disagree with him. It was charming, how united they could be at these times, and it was consoling, to know that at least their bunch would never betray him like Johnny just had. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wah, welcome to the end of this! I'm not sure it's a mess or not? Writing this, emotionally I felt dissatisfied more than once but reading over it, I didn't find any mistakes/errors? So I do hope this was only subjective, hah.
> 
> I will point out that this is **not** a finished story just yet! I did a twitter survey to ask for opinions and most voted in favor of publishing but I do have the second chapter finished already which I will post once I am done with chapter 3 (I need to motivate myself like this, honestly!) so assume that the next update with come within... hm, 2 weeks if I'm doing good? writing chapter 1+2 took me 3 weeks while working on other stories on the side so I hope you can remain patient for a little while with me!
> 
> At the end of the whole story, I will post a list of Jaehyun's tattoos and demons but if you want to ask anything before that, you can always leave a comment or inquire via [curiouscat](https://curiouscat.me/starrymeis). Follow me on [twitter](https://twitter.com/starrymeis) if you want messy writing updates, too.
> 
> Until the next time! I wish you all well, hope you stay safe ❤️


	2. flickering red

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, hello again!
> 
> In advance to reading, I want to point out that this time around the timeline might seem a bit confusing but it will play out to make sense. There'll be a few revelations and explanations too so I hope I can satisfy some of your curiosities!
> 
> I also hope you can forgive me because while I love to write action-ish scenes, I also don't think I'm that good at it? Just know I did try my best so I hope you can be lenient with me! On that note, this chapter also includes one of the longest scenes I've ever written, I think, so that marks another record for me, haha. 
> 
> For now, I wish y'all a good read anyways!
> 
>  **trigger warnings** \- panic and public commotion. cameo character death. mention of injuries. drinking. mention of guns. explicit sexual content (but not intercourse).

_ “Hey,” a voice called for him, not exactly nicely but at a volume it couldn’t be considered offensive either. Decisive enough to rouse Jaehyun from sleep sufficiently to gruff lowly, showing he was paying as much attention as he could while simultaneously smothering himself in his pillow. “Wake up, dumbass. I have the solution to your little problem here.” _

_ Grumbling still, Jaehyun barely so managed to turn his head sideways to the point he could open one eye to look at Doyoung, much as he could make out of the demon’s appearance with his bleary sight. Maybe he was mostly immortal, he still was a human with all the faults, too.  _

_ “You won’t like it,” Doyoung started and, indeed, Jaehyun did not like it. There was nothing like deceiving the demon responsible for deceit of his own, and at times like these, the magician thought there was no better way to emphasize on that exactly. _

He felt reminiscent of that as he sat in the barren room, cuffed hands placed on the cold metallic table as he watched Doyoung pick on the lock with skilled expertise. Using Jeno’s strength would have been easier in a situation like this, to just break the metal apart like a rubber ribbon, it would have been more dramatic, too. But with crystal pulsing a soft purple light closed around his wrist it would be impossible to call forth that demon of his.

“I told you you wouldn’t like it,” the older pointed out, metal scraping against metal as it worked within the miniature hole. One click was followed by another and, soon enough, the restrainment was falling off. Mending his sore skin with little rubs, Jaehyun eyed the black haired for a moment, the useless question of just how Doyoung had known on the tip of his tongue despite knowing it was an obvious inquire. Like a sixth sense, the demon could look through mischief, ruining the good and the bad surprises equally. “But I didn’t expect it to turn into this huge a show.”

In the few minutes ever since he had projected into the room, Doyoung had caught him up on the few happenings outside. The news had been quick to catch on to the supposed raid, their reactions upon hearing it was for a singular subject of interest mixed, some had been disappointed that it was about one person they couldn’t get further information on, others had been delighted to hear of a magician high ranked enough to ask for such dramatic display. Similarly, the reports about the vanished agent varied, some saying the rumored agent had been investigating or been abducted, painting him a hero or a victim. Regardless of that, most focus was put on the mysterious man caught, instead, and Jaehyun had only felt relieved upon knowing his image had not been revealed.

“Well, they caught the enemy of the state, didn’t they?” The magician sighed but got up from his chair, stretching his hands upwards. He had been sitting around for hours, cuffed to the table like that, and without a clock in the room it was hard to tell the time but he assumed it was already well into morning. If only he could make that decision based on how tired he already felt, amplified furthermore by the fact he hadn’t been able to rest well in that uncomfortable chair. “Did you scout outside?”

In an oddly endearing manner, like a little bunny sniffing, Doyoung wrinkled his nose, distaste evident in his eyes. “You think I’d let you out if I hadn’t?” The demon shook his head, rolled his eyes, and disappeared for a second only to open the door from the outside. “Loverboy is fetching breakfast with an intern. Most people in the department have gone after working overtime because of you but since you stayed silent…”

Innocently, Jaehyun smiled at the older, as if he didn’t know exactly what this all was about. There was a unique thrill to knowing one had the upper hand, excitement pulsing steadily beneath his skin, vibrating in his bones, because situations like these were a lot easier to predict when having a figure of deceit by one’s side. Luring it out of the people surrounding them, seeing it in their eyes, it was like guessing a dish based on smell to recognize exactly the way they were meaning to overthrow him. 

“You’re one lovesick fool,” the demon shot him down, leading him through the limited hallways of this floor until they arrived to a generously spaced office room, handful computer screens still lit up but their occupants missing. In the center of it was a bigger table, likely for their daily agenda talks and discussions to their plans, and it was exactly where Jaehyun settled after pulling a swivel chair to its head. His mood had been a bit dampened by Doyoung’s words, he shot him an accusatory glare, but the demon hardly bothered.

“You haven’t been in love before. I was already worried you might turn out to be like us.” After searching around one of the desks a bit, Doyoung had pulled out a tablet, searching through the device quickly, likely for the report on Jaehyun, without yet stopping to talk, “I’m delighted to know you still have a beating heart but if you’re incriminating all of us… Jaehyunnie…” Black eyes were serious, settling on the tattooed man, “You’re our ship. If you sink, we all go down with you. Stick with your responsibilities.”

“I’m not planning to give up on you,” Jaehyun huffed, frowning lightly as he looked through the police database. Jaerin’s name was no longer to be found and in her place would soon be another identity, easily replaced not only in the official files but also in the memories of everyone, soon as he could set Lucas free again. “We have a deal, Doyoung. Every single one of you and I. For as long as I am, I will take care of you in the same way as you do with me.”

It was a promise he had no choice but to hold on to, at the same time, that hardly mattered. He could have deceived them, trapped them and never rewarded them again, but the bigger the trust between each of them and him, the likelier it was he could use all of their powers as he wished. As much as they had to rely on him, he was as dependant on them as well, and once they had gotten past all of this intimidating each other business, they were easily amiable characters, too. 

Seeing no sign Doyoung’s trust in him had lessened, Jaehyun lowered his eyes to the tablet once more while heaving his feet up on the table. The report on himself was a bit lacking still. They had gathered every agent’s statement on the circumstances of his seizure, that he had voluntarily and without a fight come along, those who had tried interrogating him had had nothing to work with, he had remained silent throughout their questions, and thus the biggest chunk of information had come from Johnny, of all people. One by one, his tattoos had been marked on a human puppet, arrows pointing to the respective descriptions of his ink but only two of them had actually been filled in - Jaemin and Yangyang.

Another page down, a summary of their week spent together was placed but Jaehyun had been smarter than that, the memories of the apartment and the company had turned hazy, the descriptions lacking.  _ Big company, coffeeshop in the base floor _ .  _ A nice city view, expensive apartment _ . It barely was what officers could work with, and the magician affectionately traced one finger along where the skull of a snake was placed low in his nape. His demons might be blocked off at the moment, their bond sure wasn’t. 

Jaerin’s name was still there but the searches would turn out to be useless soon enough, so he hardly worried about that. It wasn’t the first time his alias had been framed, albeit last time it had been in the name of tax evasion and his demon hadn’t taken to it kindly. Nobody deceived the demon of deceit. 

“What are you planning to do now?” Doyoung asked after a little while, resting against one of the desks loaded with papers and files of current cases or simple research. Past his companion, Jaehyun’s eyes settled on the corkboard that had countless pictures pinned onto it with notes he struggled to read currently, and he didn’t need to. It was easy enough to recognize the common thing behind all of them was his own persona. Must be either his best luck or greatest misfortune to fall for the government agent out for his head specifically of all people available in this world.

“Go along with your plan, I guess,” the younger muttered and dropped his head back. Clattering to the table was the tablet he dropped down before turning around, gazing out of the window with its shitty view into just another office across the street. Boring. “And then go home and age in peace as I’m supposed to.”

Muffled sound of footsteps echoed into the room, surely reason as to why Doyoung didn’t reply just yet. What greeted them, aside from the vaguest reflection Jaehyun could see in the windows, as a youthful voice releasing a sound of surprise. “I didn’t know we had an appointment. Did team leader Suh ask you in or-”

“You could say so,” the demon replied, sickeningly sweet business voice on and Jaehyun rolled his eyes as he heard Doyoung head for the door. “Mister Suh didn’t actually agree on an appointment but we most definitely-”

“Mark!” A panicked voice echoed and next thing he knew, a shrill sound echoed through his ears. Uncomfortable as it was for Jaehyun, he could only imagine how horrible it was for Doyoung, this sort of demon repellent. It varied, the way magic like it was perceived, the way it was an ear shattering sound for Doyoung but likely would be some horrible stench for Jeno and Renjun with their sensitive noses.

Either way, Jaehyun had no other choice, swirling around in his chair to catch a quick glimpse of the demon hunching over on the ground, arms pressed to his head as if it would help drown out the sound. “Leave.” It was no plea, from this point on he could work on his own, and one short look from Doyoung to the magician was enough. Like a blurred image, the demon disappeared, leaving a thin trail of smoke in his wake that Jaehyun watched for another moment before he leveled the intruding agent with a hard stare. “He did do nothing to you. There was no need to torture him like this.”

“He- He-” The young agent stuttered, looking as if he might topple over any second now. Evidently not a great threat so Jaehyun diverted his attention to the other agent with cotton candy pink hair, the kind that smelled of magic, potions that kept the color intact regardless of the amount of hair washing, or maybe a spell. It was efficient, if one so could afford it. 

“He was a demon in our building!” The stranger retorted, fingers pulling away from the eye inked above the jugular also meant the annoying ringing in his ears was stopping. The ever omnivident eye, permitting not only a glimpse past magic and what was hidden behind, sometimes it could serve as a defensive mechanism as well. If one so held to power to bring out the utmost of its abilities. “And you! You’re supposed to be in a cell, not lurking around the room.”

For an agent, the shorter male sure wasn’t all too intimidating, voice not close to how strict it should be considering the situation. It took Jaehyun another moment of looking, comparing the hazy memories of a night out with the tired looking beauty distanced away from him, voice compared to mindless shouting and throaty moans. “Oh,” he drawled, as his memories aligned the way they should, all while he dropped his weight down into the chair already occupied once more. Beneath his weight, the metal squeaked. 

The revelation he had he didn’t share, simply leveled the men with a curious gaze as he slid closer to the table, arms placed on top. “When you took me in, you invited all my demons, too,” he smiled, the dull business kind, the one that didn’t actually mean anything. 

“The bracelet-”

“Blocks me from working magic,” Jaehyun agreed, the loophole in this one for them to find. Maybe it was an impossible deed, though, because his demons had their own magic to use once they were freed, it was simply the freeing that posed a problem at all times. A car running out of fuel, once their magic had ran out they, too, needed to return to him. “You, he instead started, looking at the younger of the two, the less known to him, “Are they really recruiting kids your age now? Aren’t you too young to be involved with our kind just yet?”

“You- Aren’t you, like, half or something?” The boy stuttered, eyes quickly darting around between agent and confined.

“What are they even teaching you…” Jaehyun grumbled, pillowing his head on his arms crossed on the table, eyeing them. “I’m born human, just like you. Since you’re here, I guess you’re also way stronger than I was at your age. But life isn’t fair to have you off against the me of that time.” He raised his eyebrows minutely before allowing his eyes to travel the young man’s body again. After a night together, he was familiar with the pink haired’s tattoos but what was inked into younger skin he had no idea of. “When’s Johnny going to return?”

“Not too long but-” The older agent started once again and Jaehyun might be more inclined to remember his name under more pleasing circumstances. Not when he was eyed like a cockroach permeating his kitchen sink.

Interrupting without words, he just raised his still lasting shackle, the quartz wrapped around his wrist. Another few hours and the spell would wear off, worn down like the improvised handcuffs back at the cottage had too. “I can’t do anything now. Neither do I like to go off against humans that did not attack me first. So let’s just spend a few peaceful minutes together until Johnny arrives, hm?”

One more agent arrived to their bout, much as someone dressed so sleazily and with the work moral of a ninety-old senile radiating could be called agent. Ruffling up blond hair, the then smallest man looked at Jaehyun with interest, before shrugging it off. “Jonathan did say he’s a weird one. And I’m not moving a finger until I got coffee, y’hear?” The blond declared before pushing past the other two to move to one of the desks allowing to view the table in the middle, sitting down in his chair. “So what’s the thing with your tats? Are they useless designs like Jonathan’s or actually got a sense to them?”

Lightly, Jaehyun huffed at that. “I don’t actually choose on where they settle. Or how. Their form, their decision.” For a moment he wondered just when it had become their method of greeting each other, analyzing each other’s tattoos, trying to find out which was real and what it meant. All he could glimpse of the most recent agent was a sliver of black on his forearm, something he tried to focus as the other two, also, settled back in their seats. 

“I like the neck one,” the blond started, fingers tapping against his own bare neck to emphasize which one he talked about. As if Jaehyun didn’t already know this was about Aria. 

“Try to guess about her then,” the older suggested, amused grin on his lips as he glanced at the agent, the seemingly only one to entertain him throughout his waiting them. 

“Her?” Slanted eyes glinted in interest, the agent tilted forward over his desk and, after a short moment of contemplation, eventually moved to take a seat at the big desk, too. “So it’s true that you’re bonding with them?” The same pair of eyes traveled across Jaehyun’s other revealed tattoos, those more often expressed in the means of metaphors and no direct ways. “Wait, let me guess…”

★ﾟ.*･｡ﾟ

Silently Jaehyun watched Johnny work his way through the spicy noodles and roll of kimbap, the so very interesting breakfast option that could only be explained by the hours of overtime work. A cup of coffee sat beside it all, steaming into the air with the lid taken off, and simply observing the agent was more interesting than listening to the conversation of the other members speaking over their share of breakfast.

Plush lips stained red, swollen from the spices and giving it such a delectable sheen, the glisten that just seemed to invite him to kiss them. Eyes dazed from sleep, eyelids seeming to weigh a ton but not by volition, it was an aftereffect from sleep. The red imprint on his cheek from where it had been leaning onto his cheek, the kind that could easily be mistaken for a flush. It was such a simple task, to slip into a less stressful time, doze off with his eyes wide open to let memories take over instead of having to think on his own. 

Red tainted his vision, flickered at the corners of his sight like a faulty filter, an ugly sepia, too oversaturated, too bright, ever too intense. It made Johnny’s lips look even brighter than they already were, so very kissable, attractive and alluring. They were beautiful with their softness, slick with saliva after Johnny licked across them, tongue more red from spice and almost glowing with the intensified hues of red as-

His eyes flickered down to his wrist, to the crystal standing out against his pale skin and black ink. It’s cooling sensation contrasted the warmth spreading from creative arrows and the finely drawn bow, arrow of desire and heart, emotions he could evoke. “Johnny,” he spoke up slowly and it was almost laughable how him speaking up alone was enough to shut all other four up at once, “I need a new one.” To emphasize, he raised his hand, showing off the magic blocking cuff. Crystal held magic for longer but not forever, a matter of time, a race of powers, between which would run out first. 

When his former lover didn’t seem to react immediately but the red framing his sight intensified, flickering and waving around, Jaehyun shook his hand a bit. “If you don’t want an incubus going on a rampage, you might want to hurry up,” he added, wry smile on his lips that must show off his tension well enough for the younger lowered his chopsticks carefully. 

“Shouldn’t you be able to control your demons? That’s what you told me before.” Johnny’s eyebrows rose in question before pulling into a frown. Based on how Jaehyun’s sight focused on the agent only, he could very well imagine what the younger was going through at the moment, simply because he had been in that same position before, too. 

Heat rising through one’s body, the low and steady thrum of arousal that would spread beneath their skin and the knots tightening to replace guts. Pleasure and lust, the single-minded focus on nothing but one’s opposite, their interest, be it for passion emotional or sexual. Thinking would become harder by the second, so it wouldn’t be wise to draw it out for longer, neither for Jaehyun himself nor the one he had his eyes on.

“In case you didn’t know yet,” the older retorted, crossing his arms on top of the table as he eyed Johnny carefully, “demons like to cause mischief. And incubi like to feed off sex which I didn’t get recently, did I?”

Impressed, Ten released a whistle that caught Jaehyun’s attention only for a moment before his eyes returned to the team leader in charge. “If you allow me to set Kun free for two hours or three, he won’t affect you any longer. Then you can gladly cuff me again and until then, I would also like to make you an offer.” For emphasize, he shook his hand lightly, jostling the crystal around his wrist. “Or you wait another five minutes and I’m gone from here, leaving you to explain to your higher-ups exactly why your most looked for captive is gone. Must be extremely interesting when considering what’s written in your report, right?”

They had an affair. Essentially, whether Johnny captured him or not, the more decisive event would have been Jaehyun disappearing again afterwards. Right in front of their eyes, without anyone stopping him. Eyes that showed differing expressions, from the awe of youngsters over Ten’s amusement to Johnny’s evident upset, the last especially understandable, nobody would enjoy getting blackmailed and undermined like this. Thus he himself would agree that he was using unfair means, something he could only condone because he had been tricked first. 

“What makes you so confident you can just leave?” The human tilted his head aside a bit, a movement that might have been more intimidating if it didn’t send a spiked rush of excitement down Jaehyun’s spine. It was uncomfortable, he wasn’t any longer used to being under Kun’s effect as much when usually the incubus used his abilities to his owner’s advantage, not the opposite. “We could always just-”

Lust spreading through his own body must be but an echo of what Johnny felt at that moment, yet Jaehyun barely cared about that as he raised his hand to his mouth instead, ready to bite and tear it to free some drops of blood. “Because you don’t take demons here. You’re not equipped to block off transporting spells and it’s been years since the last  _ sheep _ came to this world, meaning you’re not used to countering their magic. Furthermore, you’re under incubic influence already when your charm hasn’t broken entirely yet so how much do you think you can actually do against me?”

“You’re a coward,” Johnny pressed out between his teeth, valid enough, the older had been called just that too many times. Thus it didn’t bother him anymore, sometimes missing out on a challenge was the wiser thing to do and displaying his magic for the world to see was not smart at all. “What do you actually want?”

“For you to listen,” Jaehyun started, easy as it was. This time he didn’t want to give in as he watched the younger sitting tense in his chair, all his mind focused on the team’s leader solely, attendance of the others slipping his mind. “Stop thinking the worst of me, Johnny, when I never once lied to you. Also, a shower and a change of clothes.”

“You can’t-” Taeyong protested, because something about Johnny’s expression must have given the older’s decision away. The pink haired seemed shocked at the result, ready to throw over his chair to strangle the other maybe, only to be silenced by his superior’s raise of hand.

Five fingers quickly turned into two, a peace sign that didn’t actually hint at an offer of such. “You get two hours to release him. And you can talk as you get changed later but after the two hours are over, you’ll put on another cuff and stay.”

“If you accept my offer,” Jaehyun agreed, leveling his former lover with a stare. He could feel the skin on his forearm almost burn off, feathery arrows jittering on his skin, anticipatory, excited. It was almost as if he could start a countdown in his mind to when the crystal lost its might and the moment it did, as its pulses of magic ebbed out, he flexed his muscles. A contract of skin, moving flesh, and with a burst of perfume, the scent of roses, the crystal burst to pieces that floated in the air for a moment before dropping to the tabletop with a soft clutter. The arrow made of rose petals drawn upon his skin had fallen apart, leaving an empty spot amidst detailed black lines, leaving him feeling cold as the heat had disappeared with it. 

For a moment, the room was silent, as if they were all waiting for something that was yet to come, as if the summoning of his demons would be such a grand thing. Alas, it was not, at least not always. It depended on the demon and their intent, and he could guess Kun would resort to sleepwalking this morning as a proper lay would be difficult to find. A portion of his powers gone but their link not as thinned as it would be with a perfect separation caused by summoning. 

As nothing happened for moments, it seemed like the young ones were growing tired of it first, of the anticipation and the silence, and the youthful boy who had fetched breakfast with Johnny earlier asked, “So, what’s a  _ sheep _ ?”

Jaehyun groaned, entirely not ready to deal with the fact that these kids were taught so little but held so high. It was heartbreaking, pitiful, especially when it was a term not he had come up with but taken from their records years ago. Only shortly did he look at Johnny, waiting for a sign of disprovement but as he could not find it, he turned his hand to the honeyed boy to ready himself for his explanation about just why translocating demons were called as such. If it were to go on like this, he sure would need to reevaluate his considerations, though. 

The water hitting his skin wasn’t as scalding as he’d hoped it to be, which could be faulted on Jaemin, too, and the showers were a bit grimy but beggars can’t be choosers. Definitely they looked like what one would anticipate of a governmental agency, the little walls marking the stalls barely above hip level, maybe a comfortable height for a person smaller than him, and had he been more shy, Jaehyun would be embarrassed indeed. Scratch that, he did feel embarrassed, the prickling sensation crawling up his neck, he simply did not want to show it.

At the end of the room, near the doors, sat Johnny on a chair he had dragged inside, watching over the older who washed the dirt of a club and the strain of a night off his skin. “You wanted to make an offer,” the agent finally broke the ice-like silence that had pent up between the two of them, and Jaehyun almost felt thankful he didn’t need to. Almost.

“You are aware I never lied to you, are you?” Lies, under these circumstances, were a vague term. He hadn’t introduced himself as Jaehyun at their first date yet, in his role as Jaerin, neither had he exactly lied, had been but an actor trapped in his play. Other questions, whether he could work magic, whether he had broken the law, been affiliated with demons, they had simply never been asked. One could not lie unless the words had been requested so, in a way, he had never told anything but the truth of an act, he had deceived but not lied, and that was a line they needed to consider only now.

As no reply came from the other, Jaehyun sighed, sound carried away by the streaming shower and he simply shook his head, ridding his messy green hair of the water trapped between. “I have all the knowledge on demons you crave to have, have more experience with sending them back and handling them, and I’m for sure more effective in my deeds than you are. So why don’t we team up, Johnny?” Peeking from the corner of his eyes, he took in said man’s expression, waiting for a reaction that was yet to come. Oh, how he wished he had Doyoung or Kun back by his side, the two who had a better understanding of emotion than him. “I will become your dog - tell me what to look for and I’ll do it. I’ll banish the demons for you, teach your trainees for you, and wear a footcuff or whatever you want me to. In exchange, you allow me to go after my business as usual and let me have viewing access to your databases.”

“Why would I do that?” The agent returned, acting relaxed but Jaehyun sensed it, the interest in his low voice, posture giving it away alike, arms placed on the knees and leaned forward. Nonverbal expressions and they weren’t even subtle. 

“Because you have something I want,” Jaehyun started, fingers combing through his hair changing color in its wake, returning to a prettier state of dye that would wear off the moment he’d be cuffed again, “And I’m all you need.” He turned slightly, giving the younger a curious look. “So? What do you say?”

“When I met Jaerin,” Johnny steered away, the change of topic so unexpected the magician almost got whiplash from it, “Did you plan all of this already?”

“When you met Jaerin…” His answer faded out, not because it was not easy to answer, rather, it was the contrary. Jaehyun smiled wryly, attention returning to the shower as he turned it off and reached for the towel he had been lent earlier to wrap around his waist. “You were never supposed to meet Jaerin.”

Seeing the naked finish up, Johnny got up from his chair and opened the door to the changing rooms, a set of training gear already placed on a bench for Jaehyun to put on next. “Then what’s your purpose by working with us?” The human asked, moving to place the chair to where it belonged, closer to the door, conveniently turning his head away and allowing the other to drop his towel without care.

“I want a quaint life,” the demonbound simply answered, pulling up the sweatpants only to halt at his own words. He hadn’t thought about it in a long time, it had simply been the first association to come to his mind but, at the same time, he didn’t think it was wrong. A peaceful life, spending his days with a fluffy white dog friend while reading in the woods, it had all he had ever wanted. The thrill of meeting and taming demons, it wasn’t as great as some might think, and its charm had soon worn off. Too soon maybe, for his taste. 

He sighed, reaching for the shirt to pull over his head to busy himself with something else than a distant past he could barely remember. “And getting your help in finding out about those who are after me is easier than doing it on my own. Not to mention that they can’t get to me for as long as I am kept under your guard, Johnny. A dog is safer if it has an owner, don’t you think?”

Past the towel he moved to his hair, he looked at the younger staring pensively into the air, right past Jaehyun and at a wall. “We keep calling you a dog,” Johnny eventually answered, absentmindedly, a thought meant to work as a bridge for another, something slipped without means because the focus lied elsewhere. “Are you sure you want to take on that role, Jaehyun? You’ve run from us for a long time.”

Thoughtfully the demon owner looked at the human, took in the slight shade of worry on Johnny’s face, the repeatedly slipping stern, as if it were a role taken on by an actor not perfectly trained, lacking the experience Jaehyun had after all these years. Cracks in a mask that had been put on as he had not looked, and he couldn’t help wonder how much more he had missed out on already. 

“Sometimes it’s better to stop running so you can start facing your problems, Johnny. I’m sure.” Rubbing the towel some more acros his hair to get most of the moist out, he plopped down onto the bench parting the room. His eyes didn’t leave the younger, equal parts mesmerized and worried, coming up with a dozen plans to escape despite knowing the outcome of their conversation already. An offer too tempting to deny, it had been evident since the first moment. 

“We have a deal then, Jaehyun. So long as you don’t lie.” 

★ﾟ.*･｡ﾟ

Demon attacks, unlike those planned by humans, were unpredictable in the way there was no way of garnering information on those. Located in a different sphere and not in the same dimension meant there was no one who could snitch, there was no whistleblower, only geyser-like explosions of magic, skyrocketing radars as much as they alarmed Aisha. As much as technology combined with magic had come had gotten along, for some reason no one had yet figured out how to predict the breaches in the wall separating two worlds, and Jaehyun surely wasn’t about to do it either.

This time around too, he could sense the magic flare, a bright red smoke signal at his back that was followed only a second later by the exploding noise caused by a heavy collision. Impact strong enough to shake the whole building like an earthquake, almost sending him, too, stumbling in his high heels if not for Renjun’s countering abilities that kept him grounded throughout the vibrations that lasted another few seconds before subsiding again as the ripple of magic passed them by. Yet it had been enough to set off the alarm, not to mention the detail of a demon attack happening only a few blocks away that had his board members scrambling away while Jaehyun simply turned around to look for the source of it all.

If the clouds swirling together above them weren’t yet giving away the demon’s location, most definitely the lighting flash splitting them apart with a force that couldn’t be reached naturally was. A few short flickers above them, illuminating the quickly darkening sky, charging and loading, before it hit the buildings below with enough force to cause an electric shock. Sight as beautiful as it was tragic, it was also an alarming reminder for him to get a move on and make true of the promise he had given Johnny before.

“Always at the least fitting times,” he mumbled to himself as he slipped out of his heels, bare feet hitting the carpeted floor he hated so much for the lack of hold it gave him while walking around in stilettos like these. Merely considering his choice of shoes was telling of how lacking his outfit was for a fight, the lack of clothes he could change into leaving him no choice but keeping his appearance up as he made his way through the already abandoned floor of the building to get to the nearby balcony. The staircases would be stuffed, too many people rushing down, meaning to get away, meaning there was only one way of cutting this short.

With how much electricity was coursing through the skies it was no surprise his hair was flowing around wildly, only calming down as it gradually grew shorter around his face, retracting like the layer of color covering up his tattoos. Still trapped in a female form, he felt better readied for a fight by the time he was climbing the railing than he had moments ago. Shortly he glimpsed down, the countless yards he’d need to jump that, regardless of how often he had already needed to do this, never lost their intimidating touch. Before he could overthink it, though, he let go, allowing his weight to drop.

The fall came too fast, rushed by his increased weight as per Renjun’s manipulation, had his clothes whipping his skin, tears rising to his eyes, skin pulled back, it was a sensation he had always disliked. Quite as much as the irrevocable fear seeing the ground approach fast, cars being less ant sized and more like their original size, until he was certain his demon had already forgotten about him. Fortunately, that was not the case, as his fall abruptly slowed down, weight reduced to that of a feather as he approached one of the many cars he had seen from above.

Priorly, countless people had streamed out of the building he had owned, haste in their steps and meaning to get away as fast as possible only. They all seemed to come to a halt seeing a person falling from below, floating like an angel lacking wings, until his toes came in contact with a car’s roof. His landing was as soft as Renjun’s abilities would have promised, but he didn’t give his own employees unable to recognize him the time to stare as he jumped off the vehicle already, no time to waste when any second lost meant another charge for those lighting flashes maliciously looming above their heads. 

For a moment there, he really missed the old times, the smaller houses, being able to just climb up on roofs and jump from one to another. Skyscrapers of varying height, the smaller buildings in between, it was impossible to do these same things nowadays, meaning he had to challenge all these people rushing around on his own as he pushed in the opposite direction. Busy as it was, he wouldn’t be surprised if it would take the agents also some more time to get there, regardless of how close to their office the incident had happened.

Some several curses slipped his lips as he made his way through the people, slinking past between cars, anything to get closer to the eye of the storm brewing above. 

He was within reach when, for the first time, he heard not only the crackling of electricity but also the sirens belonging to the ministry of magic’s vehicles. Not a second could he perceive the flashing yellow lights did a bursting strike blast into its direction, sent forward from the creature’s palm. Despite its humanoid shape, the demon looked nothing like the population of this world, skin an eerily flickering white, features hard to make out, like the brightness of a picture turned up too high. 

His own magic must have alarmed the demon, deep black eyes standing out against white as they directed at him were all the warning he got before Renjun’s gravitational pull sent him crashing to the floor at right the moment another bolt pierced the spot he had been standing at a split second before. As it hit the building behind him, it caused an explosion of sorts, tearing apart the molecular structure, sending bricks and glass flying through the air.

“Oh, fuck,” he cursed, rolling to the side just in time to avoid another smaller hit, seeking cover behind an entire building as he hastily pushed up his left sleeve. If not stressed by the situation, he would have thought of summoning Yangyang on the way already, well aware that pulling together the magic needed for a translocating ban would take longer while some of it was still taken up by Aria to keep up his form.

He didn’t have to search look for long to find one of the shards laying on the ground, using it to cut along the life line of his palm. As much as it sounded like trickery, there was empowerment in the details. The curse of a card reader was amplified if their reading of Tarot included the card of Death, similarly, cutting along such an important mark could mean a more direct access to his magic. Hitting the vein close to his pointer fingers sinew meant it didn’t take long for the red to flow along his skin, shard dropping to the ground as tyres screeched on the street, another of those cars arriving to the scene.

For Jaehyun, it took but one glimpse at the demon, sensing for its magic, to know it was getting ready again. “Down!” He yelled at the agents getting out of the car from the top of his lungs, seeing a familiar sheen of pink hair before it disappeared below the level of car roofs, seeking cover from another incoming bolt hitting a car further down the road instead. Little shrapnels of searing metal, he simply hoped no more humans were walking around to become targets of their own.

“Jaehyun?” Taeyong asked in slight disbelief, drawing the older mage’s attention who needed a second to remember he wasn’t in his actual appearance but rather in Jaerin’s morphed visuals again. Although her name had been legally changed to Soobin recently. The only hint at his actual persona were the tattoos he had revealed, one of which currently caught his attention.

Yangyang’s black swirls were colored red to one third, magic filling up too slow. It was stressful, seemed impossible to believe that the agents were slowed down like this every time again, almost all of them limited to working only one spell at a time while Jaehyun was on his second already. “You need to buy me some minutes,” he yelled back, eyeing the way blood was streaming out of the cut and into the tattoo once again. “You’ll take too long with the banishing spell, just distract it!”

Brown orbs took in first his appearance then the steady flow of red, prompting Taeyong to make his decision fast. A prolonged curse, flowery words that didn’t fit the agent’s timid visuals, the younger reached for his radio device to forward the order Jaehyun had given. What he received in return was Johnny’s staggering response, technology messed up by static electricity and magic not perfectly charged, “Why should we stall? We need to send it back and-”

“Johnny!” Jaehyun shouted, covering the sound of a lighting flash coming down from the skies, hitting a nearby skyscraper with enough force to have the glass spark with electricity, little white cracks dancing along it, before they burst apart. “Buy me time, you asshole! Your lot won’t neither get close to it nor survive touching it so shut up and keep it busy!”

“Taeyong?” The older agents voice came crackling through the device once more, disbelief tainting it. “Was that Jaehyun?” Unsteady noise, it seemed like Johnny was talking to someone else, maybe forwarding the order, maybe just doing whatever else. 

Barely so could the summoner hold back his growl of annoyance, the hair in his nape standing up with another flare of magic coming from the demon, promptly followed by another strike hitting somewhere too close but out of his sight. This time, he could only hear the effects of it, could feel his blood flowing down his wrist.

His eyes widened in surprise, seeing how the tattoo had colored itself entirely before he had even realized, meaning Yangyang was ready to bid his every command, like a rocket ready to get launched with the press of a button, gun loaded and unlocked, waiting for its trigger to be pulled. “Taeyong-” He wasn’t one to plead normally but without Johnny backing him on this, the only agent he could actually trust, Jaehyun felt lost. This member of his former lover’s team was his only support at this current moment that he had lost sight of the other three that had been sat in that car.

“Fuck you,” the younger cursed, disdain in his eyes despite his hands moving up, tearing open some buttons of his work shirt only to press his hand to the drawing of a mirror at his nape. All of a sign Jaehyun did need to know he was bought the few seconds he so necessarily needed when he could already feel Aisha sparking his nerves, warning him of the next impact.

Dramatic as it sounded, having to run head first into a demon, it was much simpler than that, no better than those last seconds of a race when one would spurt the last of their energy to cross the finish line, Jaehyun, too, rushed forth between cars and across the empty streets to approach the humanoid lighting bolt. Actually, what effect Taeyong’s magic would have exactly he wasn’t too certain of, all he cared about was the time it bought him as he kept running, steps amplified by his double tag team’s combined efforts, by Jeno putting more strength to his legs and Renjun morphing gravity until the demon was the center of the pull.

Not as effective as it usually would be if he didn’t need to split his energies, their help was sufficient to have him within reach of the demon before he had been noticed just yet. Like a film of plastic, he could sense the minute moment he broke through Taeyong’s spell, drawing the creature’s attention the moment he had reached forth his bloodied hand, pressing his fingers into the electric mass. 

To say it hurt would be a blatant understatement, the shockwave coursing through his body as the only thing preventing him from flying away was Aria’s shift of magic into Renjun’s powers, shapeshifting effect disappearing the very second electromagnetism took over. Having been electrocuted before, sat on an electric chair after supposedly having been sentenced to death, he would gladly report this was about fifty times worse. In ripples of changing strength, it felt as if his every molecule was torn apart and put together once again, torn apart the same way he was kept whole by his demons’ flowing magic only. 

His hand, stuck within the demon’s figure felt like it was kept apart from his body by a searingly hot shield of metal, a sensation he would never forget, that much he was certain of. With a scream piercing his own ears, he closed his hand into a fist, releasing Yangyang’s powers that felt like a shockwave spreading out, like the earthquake whose very epicenter had been this demon’s opening portal. A ball hitting the floor with too much force, flattening for all of a second before it retained its original shape, bouncing upwards. 

Three cruelling seconds, that’s how long it lasted, how long he felt connected to the storm above, the very sky, as the most violent lightings came down onto them, hitting the demon at its very core. It was still spread out, stretched thin, making Jaehyun feel like a rubber band stretched thin, before he forced his fingers apart, spreading his hand out.

Instantly, his magic came back, crushing the demon inside out, sparking bright before it was sucked into the flickering rupture in the shell of their dimension, disappearing the second the lighting let up. This time, exhausted from opening and closing the portal at once, there was no gravitational pull created by Renjun that kept him in place, allowed him to get away from the force that was the repelling function of demon portals sending him flying back. Nothing to guard him as he was pushed away, forcefully colliding with a car some several yards away, metal breaking against his back. Or maybe it was his back breaking against metal. He couldn’t tell one apart from another as his vision went white for a moment there.

When he opened his eyes again, not much time could have possibly passed, the air was too static for more than a minute at most to have gone by, yet he found himself surprised by the soft but warm pillow he was resting on. Slowly and carefully he blinked his vision into sharpness, faced with the broken asphalt in front of him, the spot of several feet diameter that had been scorched black after being hit by the flash, and the warm moist tracing along his wrist.

Wet moist- His thoughts came to a screeching halt as he turned his head upwards, blinking another once, twice to realize that, indeed, Yangyang was licking away the droplets of blood sliding down his arm. No wonder he felt as drained as he was, having to summon this nasty little kid of his. 

A groan slipped his lips as he tried to move but, before he could do as much, the demon’s hands came down upon him to keep him in place. “You might be injured, Jaehyun. I wouldn’t risk moving around too much unless you want to spend the next two weeks in hospital.” Yangyang’s words were lilted with amusement, naturally, it wasn’t him who would be restrained at that time, his demons could still be freed to roam the streets while he was left suffering, trying to heal his own body with their aid. 

“‘t was a nasty one,” he only muttered, his body felt mostly numb, and at this point he couldn’t tell whether it was because of that horrible electrocution he had suffered or the hit he slowly remembered to have taken before blanking out. Not the first higher ranked demon he had been forced to send back on his own but there most definitely was a reason he had elementarian demons like these. With Jaemin he had been lucky, to be able to trap him rather than banish, to get along despite some of their mishaps. A confused demon, causing chaos by accident rather than intention, deeply freezing to death by the weather anomaly rather than a direct attack.

“You should have sacrificed one of them, boss,” Yangyang commented, long tongue still curling around inked skin to rid it of red but not actually going for the wound, not yet stopping its leak. “Sending that one back was hard on me, too.”

Hurried steps approached them, drawing some of Jaehyun’s bleary attention at the same time as he heard his name being called. What he was faced with, was a more than disheveled looking Taeyong sliding to his knees in front of him, already peeling off his jacket because - oh, well - his clothes had been torn apart or scorched or whatever, not the mention likely torn apart by his changed appearance, meaning he was naked were he lay. The fabric was hastily spread around his privates but as soon as it touched his skin, the demon owner could also feel eyes traveling the expanse of his skin.

What he had revealed that day in interrogation hadn’t been all of his tattoos, almost all of which were now exposed, like Doyoung’s or Yuta’s marks that covered his left side from below his chest down to his knee, the swirls of black that rested in matte black along his skin. They, for some reason, called for more of Taeyong’s attention than the demon presented to him, and when the agent noticed, it was almost comical. With a shriek the younger fell back to his bum, hand already reaching up to touch his all-seeing eye when Jaehyun felt the acidic touch on his ankle.

The human’s arm trembled in the air, unable to get closer thanks to Renjun’s intervention, all while the demon’s host was hissing in pain, clawing the fingers of his unscathed hand into Yangyang’s leg. “Don’t,” he insisted, eyes trained on the candy cotton haired male, “send my demons off like that.”

Curled around his wrist the sheep demon’s tongue stopped, waiting for who would give in first between Taeyong wanting to touch his tattoo and Jaehyun clawing at the leg he was resting on. It was painful, having one half of his use up the last of his magic but the older kept mum, releasing only one shuddery exhale as he felt his powers subside again. 

“Lovely!” Yangyang interrupted and held out his hand for a handshake that seemed so casual it was almost laughable that they were waiting for backup in the middle of the chaos that had been caused by the demon’s intrusion. “I’m Yangyang and you’re the second agent I got to meet now. Really exhilarating. But I actually would have prefered to meet the cats, Jaehyun, not to be stranding- Wait, that’s supposed to be Seoul, right?”

“Oh, shut up,” the magician grunted, wiggling his injured hand around. “Just clean me up and go home, you little menace, you-”

“You shouldn’t talk like that to someone who just saved you, you know?” The youthful spirit retorted but, tempted by the sight of blood, shut up once again. Tongue tracing along the liquid red again, this time following the lines up far enough to hit the wound across his palm, luring the flesh to close up once again. 

To that, Jaehyun didn’t actually have the right kind of retort, so he instead focused a bit more on their surroundings. The other agents who had come with Taeyong before, but also some who must have arrived only moments ago, were slowly approaching them, some yelling orders to clean up but all of them throwing a curious look into their direction. It was one who caught his attention, pushing up his sleeve as if to get ready for something, and it was enough to send him into a mild panic.

One that was only stopped when his entire sight was blocked by Johnny, looking roughed up and stressed, supporting his balance with one hand on Yangyang’s shoulder simply to be able to scorn the magician properly. “Are you crazy? You didn’t run into a lighting demon, of all things, did you?”

“Well, whoops!” Jaehyun’s own demon called out, licking along the wound for one last time before disappearing into thin air. Not retracting into thin gold, although some of such was floating in the air like dust, meaning the blond had gone home to Jeno’s cats instead of sticking around but, by so suddenly disappearing, it had the magician dropping the few inches to the ground and Johnny almost toppling over.

The impact didn’t cause him another flash of pain so Jaehyun, for the moment, felt reassured that he wouldn’t be immobilized for a while, allowing him to carefully sit up a bit. “None of you could have done it,” he pouted but, despite the agent’s stern words, he noticed the blanket in the younger’s hand, reaching for it with one hand. Quickly he glimpsed at Taeyong, who looked relieved at the note of bare skin being covered up, and Jaehyun felt a tiny spark of affection within his heart. Evidently it had been the pink haired telling Johnny to bring something along. 

“Why?” The almost immortal went on, eyes wide as he looked at his former lover again. “Were you worried about me?”

“Who wouldn’t?” The team leader shot back, agitatedly, drawing attention from more of the surrounding agents. Not exactly the smartest idea for one of their superiors to lash out at a supposed demon ally, regardless of whether they had been informed of the deal or not, Jaehyun could sense them getting ready for a fight he wouldn’t be able to bear with right now. “Who in their right mind would just run into an elementarian? Or call forth that stupid  _ sheep _ while surrounded by agents? Are you in your right mind, Jaehyun?”

Wrinkling his nose, the older got up carefully, still a bit weak on his legs and struggling with keeping the blanket covering his frame properly, more for Taeyong’s or whoever’s sake than his own, though. “A  _ thank you _ would have sufficed, Johnny,” he started, eyebrows drawing into a furrow as he looked at the so much younger, “But if not for what I did, what did you want to do? Send in one of your own men to die? They would have been a friend fish before they had gotten close, not to mention you already lost one group because they recklessly headed into this mess! Before you accuse me of being an idiot for doing your job, maybe you lot should consider your own methods first!”

A handful of the people surrounding them halted, tension rising high but the only thing Jaehyun could actually focus on was Johnny’s expression, the way surprise was slowly hidden behind a cold mask. He would feel sorry for the younger if he didn’t actually know he was right, if he weren’t aware that too many agents were rushing in first because they had been taught to take charge, not strategize, because too many of them had encountered too few demons in their lives. It was reckless, stupidly reckless, and nothing he could ever understand.

“When you have met as many demons as me,” he added on, feeling a little flame of rage burning within his chest, “then you may judge me for my actions. But if it might as well have been you running in head first, getting killed like your idiot colleagues, then don’t you dare correct me, John.”

Surprise, again, a short flicker of it, followed by guilt that gave away too much, told Jaehyun that the agent would indeed have done the same, would have rushed in first to save the rest without care, running into his demise. There was only so much luck one could have in life and Johnny’s would eventually run out if he kept doing that. A painful realization, because despite it all, he couldn’t bring himself not to care about the agent stood in front of him, the very idea of one of those agents dead being Johnny-

Pressing his lips together, he turned his attention to Taeyong instead, holding his hand out demandingly. “I’ll have to borrow your car.”

Startled, the younger blinked at him but reached into his pocket anyways, pulling out the very boring, average technology key. “But the ambulance-”

“Don’t need it,” he huffed as he snatched the little thing, glaring at Johnny one last time before he turned on his heels that scraped against the asphalt naked, heading for the car that luckily hadn’t been damaged much. At this point, agitated and exposed, after another embarrassing confession, he just wanted to get home and take a scalding shower, wash the dirt off his skin like he wished he could do with his memories and feelings as well. 

★ﾟ.*･｡ﾟ

Carefully slow Jaehyun swirled the drink in his glass. It was too early for the club to open up and be filled by the continuous incoming stream of people, didn’t mean one couldn’t get a drink thanks to being affiliated with the owner. With a sad sigh, he dropped his head to the polished counter, observing the liquid gold as he asked, “Jungwoo… Did I do something wrong today?”

Briefly he had covered the events of the day with the barkeeper with his unusual ability, the talent to sense and track magic without actually procuring any. A passive trait, as rare as it was wanted, and as easy as it was to cover up. Jungwoo and Sicheng, aside from the agents horrifically bad knowledged about him, might be the only one who were vaguely aware of who - or what - he was. If only because one could sense it and the other catered to it. 

“You did exactly what you accused him of,” the younger started, leaning with his forearms onto the counter, fingers thoughtfully drumming onto the surface. “You rushed in without a thought to protect all these civilians you actually care about. You didn’t care about your own safety as you did that so you aren’t actually better than him.”

Hearing these words, Jaehyun visible deflated, lower lip pushing into a pout that he promptly pressed against his glass for another sip. Nothing to get over the strain of a tiring day and far away from a cat crazed demon other than getting drunk in his favorite club. Not like there was much more to do to kill his time when he had no more agents to seduce as a hobby.

“But,” Jungwoo went on, calling for the older’s attention once more, “unlike him you evidently survived it. If someone wants to imitate you while not yet being on the same skill level, it would be only their fault if they get hurt. But you tried to prevent that. So someone might call you a hypocrite but a science teacher blowing up chemicals while not allowing their students to do the same is not?”

Gently the barkeeper reached forth, ruffling up the messily dyed strands that really would need a touch up soon. Only Jaehyun kept postponing it, relying on Aria rather than a hairdresser. “You didn’t do wrong, Jaehyun. You simply were worried, and you helped them out. So don’t feel too bad about it when you were in the right.”

Embarrassment dyed his ears red at the gentle words while, at the same time, he felt reassured that he hadn’t done anything wrong. Living for such a long time, sometimes humanity seemed like an estranged concept, their thinking too complex for him. “Jungwoo,” he drawled, sticking his lips out as he slid his already empty glass to the younger again. A fetus in terms of age difference, yet Jungwoo was the one making sure he’d get his high out of this. 

Before he could add more onto it, he felt his phone vibrate in his pocket, one of them at least. He was quite certain the previous had been fried along with all his other stuff at that time, meaning Doyoung wouldn’t be too overjoyed with him later on. For the time being, he had simply informed Ten of his new number because, as it turned out, he might just get along the best with Ten out of the four people making up Johnny’s team. Still, he recognized the number currently shown on his screen, and it most definitely was not Ten.

It took him two failed attempts to get the green button and considerably less time to bring the device to his ear. “Johnny,” he purred, slumping down onto the counter once again. Jungwoo shot him a curious look but also offered some privacy by moving down the counter a bit further. “Where’d you get my number? Did Ten snitch on me?”

“Ten didn’t snitch, he merely updated me on one of my agents,” said man’s leader retorted, voice more gentle than it had been all day long. Softer than during their fight this afternoon. 

“‘m just your hound,” Jaehyun retorted, licking his lips carefully to savor the last taste of his whiskey. He couldn’t even remember having drunk enough to get this dizzy but his magical low, with his remaining bits fizzling out to keep Yangyang free, might favor his current state all the more. “What do you want?”

“Where are you?” Johnny asked, something in his tone that sounded awfully much like worry but the chance for that would be entirely too low. Nothing as drastic could change within two weeks only, or however much time had passed. It was awfully hard to keep track of it when it hardly even mattered.

“You know-” He stopped of his own at the realization he had yet to make, the little fact that his cuff was gone, the one with a tracking spell ingrained that reacted to Johnny’s magic only. That one, too, had burst apart during the earlier attack, it seemed. A small frown built on his face, he had promised to keep wearing it as a safety measure for the agency yet here they were.

“Jaehyun!” Another voice - Sicheng’s voice, as he belatedly realized - interrupted and momentarily distracted him from his call. “Move your pretty little ass here.”

“You know,” Jaehyun started again, interrupting Johnny without mercy, “We’ll talk at the office tomorrow. I have business to take care of.” Without hesitation, he ended the call and set his phone aside, making his way down to where his probably best human friend was waiting for him. Johnny sure deserved this kind of treatment after the shitshow that had been going on after the attack. 

On the bright side, despite how tipsy he had felt while sitting, movements clumsy, his steps were certain and straight as he walked down to where Sicheng was waiting in between the two halves of the curtain. Behind the fabric, down the hallway, settling in his favorite loveseat and he curiously watched as the younger moved around to retrieve one of those notebooks not too unlike the ones he himself used as well. 

“I’ve got your informations,” the mage started, waving the little book around, “But it will cost. I had to ask in a lot of favors to get you what you wanted, Jae.” Sicheng smiled softly, dropping onto the couch, tucking in his legs. “You did well today. I’ve heard it on the news. So why are you here drinking tonight?”

“Lover’s quarrel,” he answered, pushing his lips into a pout. Much as it could be called that way when they weren’t in a relationship anymore. With a sigh, he sat up, tapping one finger against the notebook placed on the coffee table between the two of them. “How much for that?”

“Fifty,” his host demanded, making Jaehyun wrinkle his nose in detest. Not a low price indeed but if he got what he wanted - and a quiet life once again sure was worth a lot - he would readily pay it.

“I’ll transfer it when I’m back home,” he assured, and he could see the little hint of hesitation in Sicheng’s eyes for a moment, usually demanding to be paid first but Jaehyun never once had broken his promise like this. Not only as a private customer to the magician, also at the bar he was more than generous usually, hadn’t ever not paid his full bill. Business deals, after all, should be treated carefully.

Surely for that reason did the younger wave him off. “Fine. I want the money by nine am though.” Then, after another moment, one careful look at the demonbound, Sicheng added, “You should go home now. Sleep it off and recover, Jae. Too many of my potions won’t do you good.”

Smiling tiredly, lifting the book in a silent gesture of gratitude, Jaehyun nodded his head. “Hope you get some good business tonight, Winwin. Pretty sure a lot of them will want to get drunk tonight,” he joked, heaving himself out of his chair with less grace than he wished he had. At least no one else was there to see him behave like an old man, though. 

After the lighting disaster, the clouds looming above the city still seemed ominous despite hours having passed, heavy and dark, hanging low in the skies and blocking the sight of the sunset occuring at this hour. Some static electricity seemed to last, just one of the after effects of the earlier happenings the news were still talking about. Unsurprisingly so, it had been years since the last demon attack had taken place in the middle of the city, it had been good fodder for those menaces.

Glancing up once more, he silently bid his hope of no cloudburst happening before he wasn’t home, he sure wasn’t dressed for that kind of weather then. In fact, he wasn’t dressed appropriately for the club either, only that had mattered less when the doormen only just seemed to arrive, passing by him to get into the building. Few of which he recognized but, as he allowed his eyes to travel down the street in the direction of the next subway station, it wasn’t any of them who caught his attention. A familiar car was parked second row, safety lights blinking as if an excuse was actually needed. 

With a sigh, Jaehyun took first one step forth, then another, slowly approaching the car with a hesitation he didn’t show as he pulled open the door and sat down in the co-driver’s seat. “How did you know where I was?” He asked, slumping into the cushioned seats, eyes rolling, turning to the agent placed behind the steering wheel. 

“The barkeeper picked up my call,” Johnny answered, and in a similar fashion as Jaehyun’s simply getting into the car shifted gears to get the tyres rolling, heading down the street to get on a path Jaehyun didn’t bother question about. Instead his focus shifted to the outside, passing people, flashing lights, houses he took in without actually looking, too distracted by the citric perfume cloying his nose.

Calling forth upon different demons not seldomly affected his senses, how he perceived and affected the world around him, and with Yangyang out and about, playing with the cats at home most likely unto that moment, he felt his body accommodating accordingly. The clean and fruity scent of the younger that usually seemed so refreshing was burdening now as he did not want to focus on it, did not want to think of how it usually scented with such intensity at times they had been holding each other close. He didn’t actually want to pay attention to that, at the same time it was the only thing he could focus on, thoughts too often zeroing in on the agent like this.

Regardless of having only just decided to stop drinking for the night, he found himself craving for exactly that, another drink in his hand, something to blur his minds so perfectly adjusted to the man next to him. How funny it was, they were so alike in their tendencies but, at this current moment, he had never felt more different from Johnny than right then.

A red light had them stopping, Jaehyun’s eyes tracing the people crossing the street ahead of them, the old lady that could walk only so fast as she put her feet on the white stripes and asphalt. Already he had lost track of where exactly they were, had paid neither attention to the way nor their surroundings, yet he very well paid attention as the younger started talking again, “For earlier… Let me apologize. It wasn’t fair of me to get mad at you for what you did then.”

“It wasn’t,” the older magician replied silently, head falling against the window pane just so he wouldn’t need to look at the other. He didn’t need to see, he was already aware of the pitiful state the agent was currently depicting, lips a grim line, eyebrows furrowed, attractive in a way it shouldn’t be. Or maybe that was just his delusional take on Johnny’s looks, affected by the way he still felt for the human.

“When I arrived, there was this lighting and the explosion-” Halting in his own words, silence covered them once again, was accompanied by the harsh turn Johnny took. It didn’t take long for the car to halt again, this time not by a red light but a carpark framing the river, view of the water blocked by trees and bushes, out of reach yet so close.

Jaehyun didn’t say a word as he undid his seatbelt’s buckle and staggered out of the car, door falling shut as he set aim to the grassy lane spreading out in front of them. Not paying attention, he walked forth until he hit the lithic line keeping the water away from the city, promptly sitting down on the chilled ground there, ears filled with the sounds of the city and rushing of water alike.

“Do you remember that day at the bank?” Johnny asked, heavily falling to the ground next to the older, both their eyes directed at the black water reflecting the city’s lights beautifully. Sparks of red, yellow and white, interrupted by colorful bursts of neon signs or installations. It was beautiful, in this urbanized awful fashion, nevertheless it was not enough to cover up for the handful skyscrapers some bit further down that were no longer illuminated, those that had been hit by the lighting flashes hours before. 

The mention of that day seemed surprising, it was in a way, at least Jaehyun hadn’t anticipated it, memories still vivid in his mind as he signalled with a nod as well. Originally supposed to be an innocent date, a sporty one where they would go for a run along the river and then have lunch at one of Jaerin’s most favored restaurants, one of those that wouldn’t be too bothered by their athletic wear because they were regularly frequented by business people exercising during their prolonged lunch break. 

Before they had been able to do as much, he had received a call about a money transfer he’d have to personally agree to at one of their offices and Johnny had generously offered to come along. Well, that had backfired a bit. For whatever reason some idiots had thought robbing a bank at daytime in a city with a safety standard as high as Seoul’s to be a good idea, they had done it. Later they had been diagnosed to have been high on some magical substitute, it had mattered little at the time they had been stuck within the branch.

Johnny, ever the loyal man, had stepped in and, thanks to being a higher ranked magician, had trapped them easily but to Jaerin, the business woman who wasn’t as well affiliated with the arts of magic, it had been a risky deed. In reality, he might have done the same if not for the agent stepping up first, halt them and later manipulate everyone’s memory into forgetting about it, it would have been an easy deed. It could have been blamed on the drugs later on, likely nobody would have questioned it then. 

Asked like that, Jaehyun couldn’t help empathize with what Johnny had gone through earlier but, “You could have died that day.” Nothing more than a bullet through his heart, that was all that was needed to end the younger’s life, and one of those has barely missed skin after being fired from one of the muggers’ guns. “It was only logical I was upset.” And upset he had been, had yelled at the agent for minutes without end, had accused Johnny of being reckless and idiotic, had pointed out all the many ways that could have gone wrong and all the money that could have been stolen would not have been worth the loss of Johnny’s life. 

“I didn’t know that this was how you had felt that day,” the agent retorted, stubbornly looking straight ahead and it might seem more peaceful, nothing but small talk, the tiny chatters of acquaintances, if not for Johnny’s fingers tense in a fist. “When I saw the explosion earlier, I just- I blanked, I guess. Like, you don’t look like her anymore, not around me at least, but I really was afraid that Jaerin could be gone at that moment and-” With a huff, the younger broke off, head falling back, gaze going up.

“I still like you, you know?” Jaehyun confessed, in lieu of a more relevant reply, didn’t want to indulge Johnny on his earlier realization because Jaerin, in more ways than one, was already a gone, a fragment of memory exclusive to the younger. “I don’t like to get close to others because they’ll just end up dying anyways but…” He sighed, pushing his weight to crouch down, halfway into getting up. “But it’s because I like you that you can rest assured I won’t risk my life like that, Johnny. I’ve seen enough people pass away, I wouldn’t force you to go through the same with me.”

“Jaehyun,” Johnny started, hand reaching out to curl around one inked wrist, every line of black feeling like warmed up gold to the touch, proof that Yangyang had yet to disappear not just to him, everyone else could feel it as well, “Why me?”

For a little while, Jaehyun took in the sight of the agent, the cheeks sunk in from stress, dark shades beneath his eyes, wrinkle between well plugged brows already seeming to be carved in for years. Reaching forth to gently rub them away, drawing soothing circles, the older returned, “Your eyebrows already look like that of a comic villain’s. Don’t worsen it, John.”

“Why?” The agent repeated, eyes questioning but intent clear. There was no malice within those beautiful orbs, not this time, no alarm bells ringing in Jaehyun’s mind as he looked into them. What a beautiful moment to kiss this would be, if only he were allowed to, too.

“Why not?” He smiled, fingers drawing up to gentle brush some of those soft brown strands away in the same way he had always done before, whenever he had been allowed while assuming the role of the caring girlfriend. “You’re an impressive man, Johnny. I know I’ve been harsh with you but it’s only because I-”

“I know.” Plush lips curled into a tender smile, shy in its wake, endearing in its appearance. It was more innocent than the tough and cold exterior of an agent might suggest, carried the same tender sense Jaehyun had been allowed to grow familiar with throughout the prior months. “You weren’t wrong, we rush in recklessly. But it is because it’s a job no one else can do…”

Johnny’s hair stood into every each direction when the magician pulled back his hand, ruffled and messed up, resembling a hairstyle of just having gotten up. “You have me now, Johnny. Don’t do this reckless stuff you won’t survive when you can sacrifice me instead,” he teased, affectionate smile on his lips as he slowly retreated, careful not to stumble on the uneven grass in the dark. “I’ll see you in the office tomorrow. So don’t stay out for too long either, team leader.”

Not awaiting an answer, he simply waved his hand through the air as he turned around. Going along with his plans of earlier, of taking public transport to get home, he headed for where he guesses the next best subway station could be located. The notebook stored in his sweater’s pocket a constant reminder of what he had yet to do, the money, the research. Two weeks of waiting, he was finally ready to get a better understanding of what was going on, and the more he could find out without Johnny’s help the better, too. 

★ﾟ.*･｡ﾟ

The agency’s coffee, to make it short, was horrible, might as well be compared to horse piss and it had Jaehyun retching at the taste once again. Eyes pleading, he turned them to Johnny sat at the head of the room, asking, “Can’t I just replace the coffee machine with a better one?”

“No,” Johnny answered as if it were routine, in a way so easy it seemed as if he hadn’t even listened to Jaehyun which might actually apply. With all the mess that had gone down only yesterday, the piles of paperwork on the younger’s desk had at least doubled and the sorcerer didn’t even want to question what exactly this was about. Reports that needed to be checked and approved, then compiled into a big picture and, from what Jaehyun had heard, as their team leader had been the highest ranked agent around during the attack, it all was now up to the same man, too.

“Hyuck,” the oldest in the room promptly smiled, dropping his head down the backrest of his chair so he could look at the trainee. Already he held his credit card in his hand, waving it around a bit. “Want to go fetch some coffee?”

“Jaehyun.” Johnny’s tone was warning, threatening in that soothing tone that made it seem impossible, the fact that the agent with his shirt buttons almost bursting from the strain to contain all that muscle was the same who had poured his heart out the prior night. A caution that was easily thrown to the wind by the trainee anyways, who declared it to be the time for his overdue break and went on to recite all their orders with practiced ease.

Donghyuck had almost reached the door when Jaehyun called for him, adding with a smile, “Get yourself and the big bear some snacks too, will you?” Bribing the kid with some snacks most definitely always worked, and the prospect of coffee had him also more focused on work again. 

Ever since he had struck his deal with Johnny, like an elementary student, he had come to the office every morning and stuck around until early afternoon, until his own matters become more pressing to take care of again. It had been rather unproductive time during which he, not knowing what to be on the lookout for in regards to his suspicions, had mostly through their textbooks instead and entirely massacred one with his own notes. Whether he worked in their favor or against himself he wasn’t entirely certain as he crossed out one wrong suspicion after another, jotted down his knowledge on the demons he had encountered while drawing laughing faces whenever his own came up.

One he had found peculiarly interesting, a tale that was referring to him, about the tattooed hero of that time who had kidnapped Sichuan opera’s most well known actress. Not only was it laughable enough that they had dedicated a whole chapter to him, he couldn’t help pointing out that the lady had been consuming the hearts of her sponsors with an always differing guise. Albeit he didn’t add on that this same demoness was currently painted onto his neck. If they so managed to figure out that Aria was this woman named Zihan, it would be their own achievement entirely.

His work ethics had changed, now that he had bought the notebook off Sicheng’s hands with money that had almost entirely emptied one of his bank accounts. After one second of consideration, he had simply given a generous tip to his friend and mailed the bank about closing that account for him, ignoring that he might have to pay a fine then. Money, like most things earthly, lost its use with the passage of time, was the kind of good he could carelessly sacrifice because of how little it meant. 

Information, though, was always useful, and currently it helped him out plenty as he flipped through the pages, the records of deals struck between the underworld and corrupt politicians. One or two big fish, he wouldn’t need more than that to serve as appetizer for the agency and the media. Like a demon, he was only out for the heart, the rest of it, the meat and the bones, the tendons and fur, other creatures might do with that as they wished. At least in that regard demons were easier to understand, the way they only wanted to feed upon hearts by whatever means required. Even if it meant causing a whole storm to go down on the city, like the violent cloudburst that had eventually happened as Jaehyun had been on his way home at night, yet having to recede as it painted the streets outside wet.

Jaehyun had never actually gotten what exactly was supposed to be as interesting about investigation, the whole having to work with clues to piece together a bigger picture, a puzzle to fulfill. Now he might, though, with how addictive it was, to look through reports of those days he had received intel on from Sicheng, the way it was his bigger picture to piece together and a few hours into it he had already accomplished several pages full of notes. 

“You know,” Ten interrupted their working silence which had merely lasted a few minutes so far. Hot on his wheels was Taeyong’s mean glare, the kind that was supposed to tell the blond to focus on work instead of chattering around, make use of his superiority that awfully failed on Jaehyun instead. And on Ten currently who simply went on, “It’s really a pity you’re wasting your looks and money on Johnny like this. Don’t you think I’d appreciate you way mo-”

“Ten,” Johnny interrupted, startling Jaehyun in his seat who hadn’t imagined the team leader, of all people, to crash their conversation, “Shouldn’t you be focusing on your work? You know Jaehyun is off-limits.”

The Thai minutely gave the older a scornful look, mumbling about “stupid work policy” or whatever, but did return his focus to his tasks, working through whatever documents he had been handed. It spoke of their loyalty towards each other, the kind that didn’t involve him who turned around in his chair to look at Johnny curiously. It took a little while, having to wait until Johnny noticed but when he did, the younger raised his eyes questioningly. 

Jaehyun lightly tilted his head in Ten’s direction, indicating it was about the agent’s swears and watched recognition to light up within warm brown orbs. “Agents aren’t allowed to date each other. If by some unfortunate event they do end up starting a relationship, they get separated for work. By extension, this includes you.”

“Which doesn’t even make sense, he’s not an ag-” At Taeyong’s words, Jaehyun’s head whipped around quickly but by whatever action done by Johnny, the candy cotton haired had shut up also. It was frustrating, to be surrounded by people who knew rules he wasn’t aware of, and it didn’t even help that he was able to tease Taeyong about their one-night-stand either at this situation, even when the situations were vaguely alike, with one not knowing about what the other knew. 

For the first time since being around, he wanted to curse out Donghyuck though, returning at just the wrong time with three paper bags, two of which would contain their drinks and another for the snacks. He had Mark in tow who stopped by Johnny’s desk to place down a new cuff, after the lighting demon had destroyed the old one. It seemed unnecessary now, with how they all settled around the big desk Jaehyun had used as his work space since coming, whenever it wasn’t used on eating lunch together or discussing some new revelations, not few of which had been started by the youngest reading through his notes.

Now was such a time because, despite the sheer workload they were facing, coffee time was sacred and thus they all forewent their current work to gather around the big center desk. Johnny took the one closest to Jaehyun, crystal cuff in his hands whose very carvings were glowing as his thumb traced along them, spell getting to work with the magic infused. It made the older curl his nose as he silently held out his wrist as all the little insignia were glowing a faint purple. The cuff was cold against his skin, crystal always felt more chilled and the temperature partly gave away the lastingness of the spells engrained, if someone was sensitive enough to feel it anyways. 

Vaguely Jaehyun could hear Hyuck singing “ _ If you like it then you shoulda… _ ” some feet away, dark eyes promptly darting over to shut the boy up with a single look. The youngest only stuck his tongue out at Jaehyun, the kind of mistreatment he only allowed to pass because, compared to him, the trainee was a baby. Which also emphasized only once more that he was old but that one… Well, it was better not to indulge it too much.

“What did you work on, hyung?” Mark asked instead, carefully directing the topic to safe grounds again, those that didn’t involve bringing up the somewhat complicated despite looking easy relationship of an owner and his dog, the leader and the hound. “Your report for yesterday?”

For a moment, the magician just bllinked at the American in confusion because he was almost certain that Mark had been around when he had handed his report to Johnny earlier in the morning. But the trainees were busy, working through everything at once so he couldn’t exactly accuse the younger of not having listened either. Nevertheless, it didn’t mean he wanted to pull Mark into his own personal mess, and his unexpected saving grace came in the form of Ten.

“I didn’t hear your version yet,” the Thai started, eyes glinting with dangerous interest as he leaned forward over the table, trying to get closer to Jaehyun like that. “I heard from Taeyong you ran in like a mad dog finding prey, and the whole building is talking about how you gave Johnny shit for that same reason. Didn’t you?”

“I did.” There was no use denying it, not when both Johnny and Taeyong could counter his arguments, neither did that account for Jaehyun just giving in. Mimicking the younger, he too leaned over the table, fingers twirling his cold cup between his fingers as he met mischievous orbs with his own. “Because a group of your agents had already headed for the demon with your car and got blown up. Taeyong nearly did as well. More of you would have done the same if not for me stepping in and now tell me, Ten - how many of you can endure the power charge of a lighting bolt that lasts for longer than a mere second?”

“We could have worked the spell from a distance, couldn’t we?” Mark interjected, eyes wide with curiosity and that innocent naivety of simply wanting to learn. 

“You could have,” Jaehyun retorted, eyebrows pulling together a bit as he leaned back in his chair. One advantage of having a  _ sheep _ with him most definitely was to be aware of the details of this kind of magic. “If you consider this: one - you would have needed more time to prepare the spell, two - the greater the distance the more magic you waste, three - you’d need a marker. So the complication of having the marker reach this demon would have prevailed, and there’s no guarantee for no other flash to hit you while you pull the demon through your portal.” Carefully he took in the realization flaring in Mark’s eyes, and in return Jaehyun shrugged his shoulders lightly. “So you could have done it if you had put your mind to it but nothing would have guaranteed you the kind of outcome I was able to.” Not to mention how stupidly fast these agents had rushed into the mess, too.

“How did you know you’d survive?” Donghyuck asked from opposite Mark, lips closed around the green straw possessively, teeth evidently already having gnawed at the plastic based on the imprints. “Or did you already encounter a demon like this?”

The taste of coffee was bitter on his tongue as Jaehyun allowed it to settle there for a bit, dousing his tongue with the acidic flavor. “Sometimes you just do.” And he did have some sort of life guarantee on it, was not allowed to die as long as his many demons were carved into his skin. “And I did.”

The last words seemed to catch everyone’s attention finally, awaiting a story he had to dig out from the wonky archives that were his memory. His own was already failing him too often, so many experiences stored he struggled to recall them all, and the encounter he had only been allowed to remember with Jeno’s help during the night. “It was a younger one. Didn’t put up nearly as much as a fight but I didn’t know how to get rid of it at that time… I must have asked a priest back then, I guess.”

Surprise was evident mostly on Taeyong’s face, handsome visuals taking in Jaehyun’s expression for a moment before stating, “You don’t know how to work magic outside your demon’s capabilities…”

A single sentence, that had been everything required to bring complete silence to their room. It was as fascinating as it was amusing, watching the confusion on their faces, the anticipation, as if they were watching an exciting thriller and not living their everyday life. The thought, apparently, had never before occurred to them, it really made him wonder just what kind of image they had painted of him in his mind.

“That’s why you didn’t conceal yourself yesterday…” Taeyong’s big eyes nervously jerked from Jaehyun to Johnny, the former who took it with stride, little smile on his lips. He didn’t dare look at their team leader, though.

Eventually - albeit it had been only a short while - the oldest shrugged it off. “You’re the first one to realize that. I didn’t even make the cut to become a priest before I had found Jeno.” That he had been able to work a spell strong enough to even trap a demon, regardless of whether or not the dog’s powers had been cut in half after being apart from his mate, might as well be a miracle. “So, no. I never learned magic the way you did but I wouldn’t dare challenge me if I were you either way.”

“Why-” Donghyuck started, and as fast as the kid had been to rise to a challenge did a small bang resound. Instead of the tan boy being the one to hiss in pain, it was Mark though, rubbing his knee underneath the table.

Jaehyun couldn’t help snort at that display of teasing and pranking, it was amusing to him, like nothing else would. “Because,” he started, rattling the ice cubes in his americano a bit, “I got a lot of tricks up my sleeves still. Jaeminnie-” This time it was him to be silenced, nudged by Johnny’s elbow, and the older’s eyes darted over to their team leader. The handsome man seemed to be content, probably relieved at actually being allowed to have a break without needing to indulge the kids as well as clearly enjoying the palm sized chocolate cake he had been brought.

Talking of Jaemin probably wouldn’t help keep the team leader’s bright mood up, the memories of them being stuck in the cabin for days, the unwanted revelation that was followed and the many incidents related to it. With a grounding breather, Jaehyun put on a teasing smile before skidding over to the youngest with his chair, ominously adding, “And if I dare attack one of you, they’ll jail me. But Johnny wouldn’t want to give up on his lovely hound, would he? So that means if you challenge me, Johnny would have to step in and if you dare offend Johnny, your career...” With a throat cutting sign, he allowed his sentence to fade out and promptly rolled back to his original position and the coffee he had left behind. 

“Also,” he pointed out, a bit amused as he glimpsed at the oldest agent from the corner of his eyes, “Who’s going to play the sacrificial lamb for you if I’m gone?”

He could see it, the way Johnny wanted to add something to those words but didn’t, be it whatever reasoning holding him back. Jaehyun didn’t question it, rather, he allowed more of those to be directed at him, silently deterring the focus from the younger again. With that heavy workload, it only seemed fair he got a break.

★ﾟ.*･｡ﾟ

“You didn’t show yourself in a while,” Jaehyun stated, eyes moving up past the edge of the book to look at Yuta. The blond hair that had called for attention centuries ago seemed less unruly now, it would also be much softer than the heavily dyed strands suffering chemical burn that every normal human being had to suffer. It was inviting, to just drive his fingers through the soft strands in a similar fashion as he would be doing with his cats otherwise, so he didn’t hesitate to wave the demon over. “I thought you would have long since warned me of my plans. You usually do.”

Undeniably, the demon stretching out across his bed, head in his lap, had saved him plenty of times before by showing him the things he wanted to see or not. An ability that was a double-edged sword, that could bring as much revelation as it was confusion, depending on how well someone was able to handle it. The future, with its many countless alternatives, was too easy to get lost in, it had driven people crazy before, had been the very reason Jaehyun had found his demon in first place.

What a funny consideration it was, for men to go mad over getting the answers to the questions they asked, their lesser brains not being able to bear the strain of the complicated future they saw. To ask whether their admired would accept their proposal was easy, was only affected by so many reasons as asking her on a good day, the few presents considered that might affect the results. Others should be called an instant kill, too many different paths that diverged and were shown within seconds, the mental capability it required to process all of it, to find out which route was the one they had to take and then remember it… They might as well have been struck by the very same lighting that had hit him, their brain short-circuiting, overworked and failing. 

At that moment, it had always started with a nosebleed, nothing too suspecting, although as soon as people had started to cry tears of blood, everyone around had gone into a panicked frenzy. The people already dead, they had served as fodder to the demon who had been already there, blood splattering around as if it hadn’t been already spilled, and it had made Yuta one of the hardest demons to trap. For how do you catch someone who knows about your means of catching them? 

It surely was no must to point out how annoying it had been, how well he could understand all those going mad from seeing so many futures at once when he was already guarded by Yuta’s guidance. He didn’t love the demon any less for that, Yuta was wonderful company without those abilities and not seldomly someone Jaehyun liked to ask for advice. Whether the other was good at that because of his clairvoyance, his expertise in guiding humans or actual insight, the magician wasn’t certain. All that mattered was that he had been allowed to slip out of trouble here and there because the blond had been the only one giving a different option to murder or bloody assassination. 

“You’ll succeed, Jae,” the older assured him, as if it were that easy but to a demon, maybe it was. Why bother with the many relentless details when sometimes the simple option would also be enough? At least Jaehyun didn’t want to question it more than that, trusted the demon to not trap him and if it was not he who had to navigate through all the different options, neither would he be upset. Sometimes it simply was easier like that, take the path you didn’t inquire about. Sometimes it was better to walk into the woods unknowing of its dangers and risks than worry with one’s every step about what disaster they would cross.

He didn’t want to know, didn’t want to worry about whether he would get shot or almost die, didn’t want to worry about this or that, not when he didn’t have a concrete plan just yet. Uncovering one politician’s doings would be easy, did require nothing more than to be on the lookout, and only in this case he wanted to ask.

“When-” He started but Yuta’s knowing grin told him the demon already knew. There was nothing quite as hard as surprising someone who could predict every next event. 

“Next Friday. Seven at night, the storage hall you already researched about. A different magician so you might want to be careful, Jaehyun.” The demon’s inked fingers curled around Jaehyun’s bare ones, twisting and entangling, a gentle smile on plush lips. “Don’t go there yourself or it will end worse.”

Not badly, worse… He sighed, dropping his head back while sensing the shiver wracking through Yuta’s body. One second later, the demon was gone, his hand falling into his lap. Either way, whether it was him going or one of his demons, something would go wrong and moments like those, he was glad he wasn’t told more. 

Like an answer to his worries, he felt a tingling around his ankle, a message that was so easy to interpret - Jaehyun didn’t know about Jeno and Renjun being informed about the risk, they were volunteering for the task regardless. Despite the possibility of injury, they were telling him that they would go, that they would risk it, do it for him. He wasn’t sure whether to feel touched at that realization or allow his heart to feel tight with agony, knowing that he was sending his two most loyal friends into a mess they had chosen carefully.

Pulling up his knee, he traced his fingertips against the inked skin, felt the feathery softness and lithic cold morphing the sensation of his own flesh. “Take care, alright?” He mumbled, pleaded. “I’ll make it up to you, I promise. I’ll have you go on a date on Wednesday, do whatever you want without any care. Just give me a call when you want to go back, okay?”

Against his fingers and traveling up his spine he could feel their warm agreement, their content with being allowed to run free before they’d have to encounter danger. More than that, though, he knew they were simply happy to be able to go out again, be together in a way no two halves of a heart embracing each other could ever replace. Truly, he envied them for their never ending love, their infinite affection with each other. A bond that could never be put into words. 

★ﾟ.*･｡ﾟ

All clubs were the same when it came down to it - the bass booming to the point the whole ground seemed to vibrate, barcounters sticky from drinks generously getting purchased, people pressing together on the dance floor, looking to have fun on their own or with someone else, maybe someone new. Usually it was a place for Jaehyun to enjoy, the drunk high, the sexual attraction - it all fed into Kun’s desires, the warmth that tingled the hidden black lines on his forearm that he was tracing automatically, not needing to see them to know where they remained. In theory he didn’t need to hide them anymore, not when he was with Johnny anyways, but tattoos attracted attention and that, currently, was not what he craved.

He could see it with the others, so many of their marks on display, showing off, drawing the attention of curious eyes staring at bare skin under the pretense of wanting to study ink. After weeks spent together, he had almost forgotten about how crazy this group could get in their free time and of that they did have plenty now, the very reason for going out being to celebrate having finished all the reports on their demon encounter. Their meticulously ironed suits were replaced with leather and silver, black fabric stretched tight around their legs or sheer shirts hanging loosely from their shoulders, a wild mix of this or that, bringing out their best points in each their own particular style. Next to them, Jaehyun felt underdressed, an almost constant state by now.

In the office, as they were all clothed in their suits, he would run around in sweats or loose slacks, choose clothes that were comfortable to himself only, and even now that he had decided to put on one of his tightest pair of jeans and a nice t-shirt, he stood out. Had he known where exactly they were going after the others had finished work, he would have dressed more befitting of the occurrence, dressed in a similar fashion to whenever he was paying a visit to Sicheng’s club. Nobody had told him that they would attend the same place where he had picked up Taeyong before, otherwise he most definitely would fit in better.

For as much as Sicheng catered to the enchanted part of their society, drinks that could be spiked with potions, the magic floating through the air, the little spaces offered to display their skills, this particular club catered to the humane needs. The same level of underground, of wanting to leave behind daily stress to the best of one’s abilities, exclusive in the way they filtered by style and who didn’t fit in stood out. Less expensive alcohol but all the more, music thrumming through one’s every bone without an option to escape from it. It truly was made only to lose your every thought behind in a haze of carnal pleasures of all sorts.

The only similarity to back then was the way he couldn’t take his eyes off Johnny, height aiding him stand out even when queueing for the bar, black fabric strained thin across built shoulders and the demonbound wasn’t certain any more whether he prefered it over the leather jacket or not. Both were emphasizing the younger’s figure in such unfairly attractive manner, it was an impossible task to look elsewhere, to not have his mind entirely overtaken by Johnny’s very self. 

Fingers snapping in front of his face returned him from his daze, eyes wide as he looked at Ten’s smug face and glinting orbs. “You can’t seduce him by longing from a distance,” the Thai pointed out, tongue tracing along his lower lip amusedly, “You should show him what he’s missing out on, baby boy.”

“Baby?” Jaehyun repeated incredulously, one eyebrow going up because, last time he checked, he had lived for at least ten dozen the times the human had, their difference too drastic, not justifying those chosen words. It sounded too funny, coming from the younger, as if a baby was trying to coo at its own grandparent, an ant trying to lift an elephant. Curiously his head tilted to the side, taking in Ten’s appearance in a more detailed manner, the agent’s eyes glazed over from alcohol, the film of red desire Kun allowed him to see as it colored the Thai in its hues. He was not the only one wishing for more to come out of this night, it seemed.

Before any of the younger’s thoughts could be realized, warm air hitting Jaehyun’s neck erased the dye for good, Kun’s heat no longer reaching out like slender tendrils to find the most heated spot but curling inside, aiding him recognize who was behind him without having to look. Almost he imagined he could hear a sniffing sound, something he ignored as he simply held his hand out backwards, pulling it back only when he felt the slim plastic card being placed between his fingers, the drinks paid by him as he had considered it a befitting reward to their recent efforts. 

The same hand that had returned his card found home on his waist, their remaining drinks quick to follow as Donghyuck brought them along. Despite how charming the liquid gold had looked in his glass, Jaehyun had held back the few moments left so they could clink their glasses together, cheering on the accomplished work. He had felt with them in the recent days, glad he didn’t need to do all their paperwork but maybe it had been equalizing since he hadn’t been able to feel his hand hours after the attack. 

“Aren’t the higher ups happy now?” Jaehyun asked, allowing his head to fall back towards where he knew Johnny’s shoulder would be, the table too small to allow anything more than staying huddled together. Which didn’t warrant the younger to touch him like this but Johnny had always been a tad too touchy when drinking, and for a man that size the agent was surprisingly lightweight. It had been funny when he had carried Jaerin’s face but easily outlasted the younger whenever they had readied a bottle of whatever. 

When Johnny responded with a confused expression, eyebrows furrowed lightly, the demonbound explained, “Your handsome hound successfully trapped your first demon. They won’t give you shit now, will they?”

Although he hadn’t been involved directly, he could quite well guess that getting his proposal to push through must have been a challenge. Just imagine one of your most favored agents proposing to take in the only demon affiliate known to their world to aid their work when, in first place, half their work was focused on said affiliate. How exactly Johnny had managed to do just that he didn’t know, but there sure had been a lot more upsides to having him as an ally than enemy. Eventually, it all came down to selling those ideas with as much charisma and possible and, by hell, Johnny had a lot of that required charm. 

The brunett rewarded his words with a gentle pat to his hip but before Jaehyun did receive a verbal answer, too, he felt Ten’s black painted fingers curling around his arm on the other side, interrupting loudly, “No talking about work now! We’re off duty and we’ll have fun!” With that, and more strength than such small body should hold, the young foreigner pulled at the sorcerer’s elbow, dragging him along to the dance floor. At this point, Jaehyun would rather suspect that Ten had just looked for the next best partner to dance regardless of who it was, or maybe it had been curiosity as they, officially, had not gone out together so far. 

Skilled the smaller maneuvered them through the people, the area already heated from so many people being almost pressed together. Comparing it to American shows might be too much, where everyone was cornered by the people around, it was closer to the level of not being able to move their arms freely without accidentally punching someone. Which bothered him more than Ten, it seemed, the younger moving without hesitation, luring Jaehyun into his rhythm, body moving to the beats smoothly. What had taken Jaehyun years to master, before he had met Kun and been granted some better understanding of his own body movements, came natural to the agent, hips rolling and feet shuffling, the bit of space between them easily heating up as both their bodies turned warmer. 

Dancing, albeit not quite as draining as could be working out or training, or even just working magic, was still strenuous, was working his thighs and it was the only means for the sorcerer to tell the time. The songs smoothly interlaced, one continuous beat more than different pieces played, allowed the seconds and minutes and hours to pass by fluently. The thirst for water could be delayed, there was time to drink later, and with how easily he worked up a sweat usually, he might as well ignore the way his shirt already stuck to his back, but the familiar strain of his legs, the dull ache of his spine from twisting and rolling his hips, that all told him he might have spent more time swaying his body than he had thought. 

Surprisingly no one yet had dared approach them, the interested looks that were thrown their way didn’t go by without notice, not with how they left heated trails down Jaehyun’s skin, his sensitivity to it heightened with Kun’s aid, the flickering red that took over the forefront of his mind, made him lose his inhibitions, made him more inclined to give in to his desires. Exactly why no one dared come close he realized all too soon, with how Ten signaled him he’d go fetch a drink, abandoning him on the dance floor. Without the younger male by his side, dancing with him, it seemed his powers were finally affecting those around him. Girls, usually, weren’t the ones to take initiative, from what he had learned they prefered being courted more often than not while still knowing exactly what they wanted. And one of them seemed to be brave enough to take him up on the challenge.

Like a candle lit, spreading warm little light to the surrounding surface, her interest flared up, seemed to approach, but before she had encountered him or his eyes had found her face to make his own judgement, he felt a hand hot against his hip. He didn’t need to question, could recognize the touch blind, felt the warmth flowing into his veins once more. 

Johnny’s nose brushed against his neck, tracing along its length, and this time he could feel the chilled stream of air being inhaled, the way the younger was trying to scent him. “You smell like her,” the agent mumbled, voice low and raspy, smelling of alcohol which all too easily explained the affectionate touch. “Move like her…”

Their bodies found a rhythm with ease, much like before in so different scenes, more innocent like that one time they had imitated a movie scene, had danced in Johnny’s living room to music only they could hear, or they had moved in tandem as their bodies had tangled with the sheets. It made sense, Johnny saying he moved like Jaerin because he  _ was _ Jaerin, and while his looks had changed, it could not possibly change the compatibility they had proven time and time again, the music that only they could hear as their limbs rolled together in synch.

Only the scent he had no excuse for, not when he usually reserved reserved one or two scents to each of his personas. He had grabbed one on random before heading out, the perfume sticking to his skin easily, not even sweat could wash it away. Until that moment he had forgotten how much Johnny had adored this scent, cotton blossom with the faintest hint of lime, softness with a touch of sharp, it had seemed fitting for the strict business woman, looking pretty but never being easy. It had appealed to him this afternoon, unknowingly, and he had applied it without thought, not intending to have this happen but neither did he mind it, if he had to be honest. 

Their proximity had Jaehyun’s heart beating heavily within his chest, excitement thrumming low in his veins, and he could feel Kun feeding on his desire, the way it swirled around low in his guts. So far it had not morphed into arousal, was the silent craving for more, more touching, more closeness, more of anything offered to him. He didn’t entail the endurance he would need to display in this kind of situation, didn’t want to contain himself as he allowed his head to fall back, lips gracing along his skin as if wanting to taste that was so familiar to Johnny already, the perfume lingering on the younger’s tongue whenever he got a taste of pale flesh. 

It didn’t matter that Johnny had drunk more, not to Jaehyun, because when it came down to it, it was not his decision to make, was not him kissing along his own skin, were not his fingers sneaking beneath the flimsy fabric of his shirt. They felt cold against his heated skin, rubbing circles against his pelvis that might have been intended to be soothing but conjured the opposite result. A tad further up, despite his changed frame, it seemed the younger knew exactly where to press to turn Jaehyun into putty in his hands, finding every single sensitive spot that could be reached without revealing too much skin. 

Time that had already passed in hazy waves was becoming more and more twisted, an elusive thing when his mind had zeroed in on the man behind him only. Lips shifting along his neck were not enough, not when he craved more, and with the whirlpool of long since abandoned inhibitions scrambling his guts, it didn’t take him much to turn around within those strong arms. Fingertips tracing along his skin as he moved until they were face to face, eyes finding their match with ease for all of a moment before his own flickered down. Johnny’s lips, bitten raw thanks to that habit harbored while working, glistening from drinking and licking along them alike.

Forcefully Jaehyun dragged his gaze up again, stared into the slightly glassy but infinitely warm orbs, brown a perfect shade of chocolate, the kind to eat late at night to ease one’s restlessness. What he found there, more than tender and fond hues, was acceptance, willingness. There was no glint of rejection as he leaned in, glancing up one more time to see Johnny’s eyes, waiting on the refusal missing even as he allowed their lips to meet. 

Warmth. Endless warmth. It was not heat that would swallow up one’s whole self, was not the burning fires of yearning, it was the soothing of flickering flames in the fireplace after a strenuous day, the softness of sheets just after waking up. Exploring what they were no longer familiar with, be it the time that had passed or their inner selves, Jaehyun didn’t care for as long as it was as comfortable as right then. Warmth that curtailed the heat of his desires, affection that nudged Kun out of his mind, unwilling to be overcome by naught alone.

Fingers that dug harshly into his lower back eventually had him part his lip in a gasp, a split second Johnny immediately took advantage of, going for the big prize, claiming Jaehyun in any way he was allowed. It wasn’t much at this very moment, but it most definitely was as the older felt his back collide with the thin wall of a bathroom stall he couldn’t remember the way to. Whether he had taken the initiative or Johnny had, it simply slipped his mind as he felt tender lips on his own once again, felt fingers digging into and claiming his flesh. 

Without curious eyes watching them, it was easier to get lost in the moment, in the taste of beer and the tobacco of a cigarette Johnny must have asked from someone, recurring drunk habit whenever they went out. In fingers pushing further up his skin, bunching the fabric beneath his arms and to the front. Pair of forefinger and thumb that toyed with his nipple, distracting him to the point he felt himself go lax in the kiss, and entirely had the movements of that other hand evade his mind. A startled gasp left Jaehyun’s lips when a palm collided with his ass in a rather rough way, a slap that had his hips jerking forward and colliding with Johnny’s, strained jeans finding their match in leather pants, and he didn’t know what drove him more insane. That tongue ravishing his mouth, those teasing fingers abusing his sensitive bud, or the hardness of Johnny’s dick pressed against his own.

There was a habit, a certain habit of the younger whenever they had made out, squeezing his ass before fingers would slide further down, between his legs to find his sensitive throbbing core, and it returned once more. This time there were no soft folds to feel up through his clothes but the brush against his perineum had him moan out loud, muffled only by their shared kiss. 

“Johnny-” He gasped, his mind wiped clean, painted by splatters of white, bit by bit eradicating the colorful painting on a canvas that priorly had been. That the way he was rutting against the taller might seem desperate he was well aware of, a tad too well, but with time as much as was gained was lost. Another time he might feel embarrassed for his deeds, maybe he would the next morning, regardless of the flickers of red that released his desires off their chains, might affect Johnny, too, to admit to yearnings that might have otherwise been denied. 

“Taste like her,” the agent added, flawlessly picking up on his earlier words but amusement had been swallowed up by his greed, teasing touch lost in favor of desirable delight. “Feel like her,” he purred, fingers pressing harder and Jaehyun moaned, desperately, because the older hated this, hated Johnny being such a tease, hated that they always brought each other to the breaking point because they could not accept lust that was too sweet. A bitter finish, prolonged pleasure, however it was to be called. It should hurt his ego, to know that he was the one closer to his breaking point, but what did it matter when it was someone as worthwhile as the one holding him trapped. 

Like before, Johnny’s lips returned to his neck, kissing, biting and licking along his skin, most definitely leaving a trail of marks that spurred on Jaehyun’s lower instincts all the more. His own hands moved beneath the black fabric, feeling up Johnny’s back, the muscles he was so familiar with when touching and the only difference being the slightest increase of skin he could reach, explore at once. Nails digging into the warmed up skin, leaving behind little angry welts, he kept the younger close with his hold, made sure there was no bit of space, no distance between their hips. 

Jeans as tight as his were a blessing and a curse, made his thighs look heavenly, as much Jaehyun knew, but they had his erection aching in his pants as he pressed forward again, circled his hips at a steady interval. Despite Johnny’s seemingly impenetrable confidence, an iron wall, he could feel it being a hollow facade, felt the shudders wracking the younger’s body beneath his very hands. To know he was not alone in his haze, that Johnny was as affected as him, it was satisfying, more than the sweet wave of pleasure overcoming him with each of their synched thrusts. He hadn’t expected this, hadn’t hoped to taste his former lover ever again, and now that he had, he wasn’t sure he could ever get away again. A junkie hooked to a drug, his drug named Suh Youngho, he wasn’t sure there could be good riddance for all of his life.

Like a firework, it was a thought that erupted in his mind, and faded just as fast. Flickering lights swallowed by the dark as he was swallowed by Johnny whole, and with Kun’s red magic flaring below his skin, he approached his high faster than he would have liked. Much as he would like the incubus caging him with tendrils of red, he had to thank the demon alike. Pleasure that flooded his body and mind, that brought him sweet relief, came without a trace. A dry orgasm that rippled through him without pain, no hint of frustration that came from his release being cut off because that was the lovely influence of a creature feeding off sex. 

For all of a second, his vision went fuzzy and red, turned white before his focus came back, returned to the man right in front. A stupid smile, he knew it was a dumb one, dizzy and content, as he tried to regain his senses for good. “Let me help,” he mumbled, moving his hands, one up to curl around Johnny’s nape, bring the younger’s face close to his nape, and the other down, opening the button to tight leather pants. Movements he was so familiar with, never shying away from the affection he wanted to give, and now it came with ease, the way his fingers curled around his beloved’s throbbing dick, tracing the veins barely touched by his nails, rubbing his palm along the head.

Johnny’s teeth, clamping down on his nape, told him all he needed to know, gave away that the younger, too, was closer than he had first assumed. A bit more, a touch here, some pressure there, and he could the telling twitch, felt the released wet halting for a second, the calm before the storm. Spurts of cum were shot out in the tight space of Johnny’s clothes, hitting golden skin and even more of Jaehyun’s, spurted along his wrist and lower arm, covering the camouflaged tattoo where it was soaked up by Kun greedily. It sounded weird, and it felt off, a sensation he could never quite get used to, but the sticky sensation the younger was spared, the soiled pants that would be horrible to walk around in.

Still, he could feel the tremors jerking the younger’s frame, his clean hand massaging along Johnny’s neck for a while more, carefully stroking along the protruding knobs of spinal bones, while he blindly reached for some toilet paper. Most was not at all, the last bit he should clean away before they were to leave and leave they most definitely should.

“Fuck…” The American born finally muttered, breath heavy and silted still, “What are you doing to me, Jae?” A question that seemed useless to ask, a question Jaehyun had no answer to, for intentions did not equal the outcome, and what he did to Johnny was out of his control. He couldn’t respond, had no words for that, so he resorted to an easy kiss, pressed his lips to the younger’s temple, wet from sweat after dancing and fucking like this. 

“Let’s get into bed, big guy,” he muttered, blindly buttoning Johnny’s pants again as the younger had yet to relax. He too, he wanted to get home, fall into bed and sleep it all off. Whatever had happened now and in the previous hours, it was something to ponder about the next day, could not process it properly right then. A talk, they would need that one as well all too soon, something he was not certain he was ready for at all. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Weeo weeo. We made it! Marking this another chapter accomplished and, as usual, after one mean scene. Which I hope you enjoyed, quite like the rest of the chapter!
> 
> I will also point out that usually I'm faster at writing but in between I spent almost a full week not being able to write which caused quite the delay. But as I'm posting this, I'm almost done with the third chapter so there'll be a repeat, namely I'll post part three after I feel like I made good progress on the last part. 
> 
> You can always come ask me questions on [curiouscat](https://curiouscat.me/starrymeis) and get some rare writing updates on [twitter](https://twitter.com/starrymeis). In case I left anything unclear, please don't hesitate to ask. 
> 
> With how much is going on in the world, I hope everyone stays safe and I wish you all well! Please take care! ❤️
> 
> PS: If any of you noticed, I love White Collar or Psycho Pass concepts. They're also a recurring theme in my fics, actually, lol.


	3. trinkling love

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> aaaand, here we are! chapter 3! The one that considerably delayed my process overall, haha.
> 
> Well, this time around there's a lot of domesticity which is, well, kind of new to me? Maybe? I hope it's still enjoyable, though. A lot of questions get answered with this as I hope and a few more still have to be revealed. 
> 
> Now, I don't have anything much to say about it this time around so I wish you all a good read!
> 
>  **trigger warnings** \- blood. mention and light description of injuries. mentions of alcohol and drinking.

For himself, Jaehyun had never quite thought to be one to re-enact those sappy scenes from movies, waking up next to your beloved and admiring their face in the early morning light, couldn’t even remember the last time he had thought of the early morning light as something quite as beautiful as it seemed to be now. It looked beautiful on Johnny, fit the younger like fine silk and beautiful pearls, allowed honeyed skin to look warm and golden as it was caressed be the tender rays. Warm hues as held by the light even granted the soft brown strands a reddish glisten, reflecting in the shades of liquid metal and looking inviting to touch.

Johnny’s lips were still swollen red, glistening from licking them in his sleep and not even the little trail of drool running into the pillows was enough to distract Jaehyun whose gaze traced along fine facial features, the little movements behind closed lids that so evidently gave away the younger was fast asleep. Dreams that must be soothing for no sound was to be heard, limbs calm as they laid tangled into the sheets with the frame roughly outlined. Without them, not too much more skin would be on display, with how Jaehyun had made sure to dress his guest in at least a pair of sweats, after the agent had already passed out in his bed. 

A lot of things that could have happened but none of them had or would, regardless of how alluring the sleeping beauty looked, there were things they had to talk about first. Should talk about. Jaehyun wasn’t actually ready to discuss them now or anytime soon. Since too many years he had lived his life by the means of just going along with it, don’t stand out too much nor go down under. If business failed, it failed. If bridges collapsed, they could be built anew. If Johnny left… He didn’t want to think about, not about the implications behind or anything else. 

Thus he could only sigh as he pushed himself up into a seating position first, then left his bed first and the room right after. Unlike Johnny he had been able to take a shower after he had come home, had washed off the scent of alcohol and the sweat of the club under the shower, the water slowly washing away the enchanted layer of skin, all whilst Johnny had been a dead weight in bed. It cut his morning routine short and furthermore allowed him to ready some breakfast for when his guest would have woken up. Considering that the younger would most likely be hungover, based on how much of a lightweight the agent could be, he had wisely prepared a soup he could leave standing on the stove whilst he sipped his coffee.

The morning news, running on TV muted, were boring. Since days they were reporting on the same things, on the progress of restoration after that demon attack and the many funds the state had offered to cover for what insurances didn’t as it was considered a natural disaster, on magical scientists promising to look into it and find out what had been the cause as if they had actually made progress on prevention in the recent decades, on politicians showing up to honor those who had died not only by an immediate flash but the general public’s panic and denial too. What caught his attention, though, was one peculiar name popping up, one of those men he had had his eye on for a while now. Skin bare of marks, it was all too evident the man himself was not one able to work magic, yet not something Jaehyun would grant too much weight on. If someone had enough influence, magic and its resources became an easily resolved matter regardless of circumstance.

Naturally, it didn’t mean all one’s markings had to be put into blatant sight but magic was a gift, it was an entitlement all too many of those who had received it wanted to show off, even if those people within Seoul not working the law but holding the same level of skill as the agents could easily be squeezed into Sicheng’s nightclub on their own. Magic could be worked by many but those who reached the level of simplifying spells into tattoos - it was a different story.  _ Alive spells, _ as Jaehyun liked to call them for they were worked not only by an alive person but directly affiliated with the person working them. They were different to that put on his cuff, to those he had put on the crystals placed around his home, because he had to refresh them, make sure they were still active by checking on them.  _ Lifeless spells _ demanded more of an effort, didn’t just require to channel one’s magic into the appropriate ink. To have a flame cover his hand was less draining than floating it in the air.

Without properly taking note of it, the screen he had his eyes on was changing from news to the weather report, followed by sports. Even the financial reports he usually liked to pay attention to went by without him doing so, entirely lost in his daze to the point he almost dropped his mug of chilled coffee when a hand came down on his shoulder, startling him effectively. A little wince left his lips when spotting the brown stains on his favorite pair of sweats that was entirely to be blamed upon him.

“You’re like an old geezer,” Johnny teased from behind him, rosy lips curled into a sly smirk when Jaehyun rose his gaze to the man standing behind the couch, “Watching stock drops in the morning… Who even does that?”

“Business people,” Jaehyun answered, sulkiness in his tone and a pout on his lips as he rose to his legs. Water droplets were running down the younger’s neck, looking appealing, inviting for his tongue to just lick them away, a deed he fortunately was able to push the thought of to the back of his mind. While he had zoned out, Johnny had evidently taken a shower and likely put to use all of the toiletries left standing around from his last prolonged visit, going as far as stealing clothes from the generous closet that was the host’s. “I made breakfast…”

Vaguely he gestured towards the kitchen, eliciting the agent to raise one eyebrow questioningly. It was cute, the way the lower line of was so straight but the upper had this kind of edge usually drawn into a villain’s feature when Johnny off-work was as gentle as a Saint Bernard. When the younger didn’t yet move towards the next room, Jaehyun saw it t be his call to head there first, silently putting down the plates and serving the still warm food along with pressing the buttons on his coffee machine to fix a drink for his guest.

“I’ll just-” Waving his hand towards his soiled pants, he smiled wryly before taking off to his bedroom to get a change of clothes. Upon return, he saw Johnny had settled at the counter but not started eating, evidently waiting for his company so they could brunch together. Because based on the time this definitely should be considered brunch and they both were working adults, no longer able to pull the card of “Every first meal of the day is called breakfast!” when they were so used to being up before eight in the morning. 

Without another word, Jaehyun settled in the seat angled to Johnny’s, arrangement not allowing him to sit vis-à-vis, it was better than sitting next to each other anyways, allowed him to shoot the younger little looks. Last night he must have been more considerate, his nape looked way more mauled than the younger’s, it didn’t mean the faint marks he could see on golden skin didn’t serve as a reminder for their debauched deeds. They had him shy just thinking about, an odd feeling when he was so often spurred by an incubus’ influence, the shamelessness that came along with it. 

His spoon remained unmoving where he had it dipped into his soup, the maroon liquid languishly curling around the metal. Merely at the thought of speaking up, his guts twisted and turned upside down, his only saving grace being another wave of confidence coming upon him with flickers of red. “‘m sorry about last night,” he started, then frowned, because, “No, actually, I’m not, I- I just-” Lacking the words to express his feelings, because he hadn’t needed to in too long a time, he hesitated. “I’m not sorry because I enjoyed it and I think you did too but you weren’t sober and if I took it too far-” Again, he broke off his own words, just stirred slowly through the food he didn’t any longer want to eat despite its inviting scent.

“You’re a lot like her,” Johnny saved him, always a saving grace. Really, he was as kind as a Saint Bernard. Realizing how stupid that must sound, he choked on a bite of vegetable, flushed down with some water. “As in, the traits I really liked about Jaerin, I keep seeing them in you, too, and, like, you are attractive, hands down, so there’s that too so yesterday probably was just the final straw but…”

Johnny also didn’t know how to go on about this, at least he had brought up an interesting point. Pushing away his bowls, Jaehyun placed one arm on the counter, head supported on his hand as he watched the other. “What did you like about her?”

“Fishing for compliments now?” The younger teased and bought himself another moment with one more bite. Unlike the demonbound whose energy depend a lot on feeding his demons rather than himself, it showed that the average human was more reliant on filling their stomach after a long night out. “She was tenacious while working. Whenever she talked about her business projects, I could see she was serious about it. You are too. Even though you are no fan of our work, I’ve seen you work yourself through our materials and you’re detailed whenever you try to teach the kids. But she was always fair and open-minded, too. She also worried too much, always asking whether I had eaten yet…” Johnny’s thoughtful gaze flickered to his host. “Isn’t that why you keep telling Hyuck to buy me food whenever he goes to fetch us some coffee?”

At that, Jaehyun dropped his gaze, embarrassment burning hot as it crept up his spine, tinting his ears a soft red.

“She wasn’t shy about her money but neither did she show off, and you keep treating us but you also show up in your worn out sweats as if money didn’t matter much” - “Because it doesn’t…” Jaehyun intercepted quietly - “and you like to look tough but you wouldn’t have yelled at me if you didn’t actually have a beating heart in that chest of yours.”

Albeit he had asked for them,  _ fished _ for them, the abundance of compliments had the older feeling shy, crossing his fingers at his nape as he looked down at the counter plate, the perfectly polished wood because, while it was a modern kitchen, he liked the rustic charm of natural materials, of stone and wood, of piecing together things by himself. 

“She’s confident but never arrogant,” Johnny continued carefully, soup dwindling between his words until mostly the broth was left. Promptly some rice was spooned into it, mixed with the thick liquid to be used as sauce. “And it’s all so  _ her _ but it’s actually just you… Don’t you think it was bound to happen if you stick around?”

“I didn’t-” Jaehyun started, halting as soon as he had parted his lips. Gaze coy as he directed his sight at the younger, he bit at his tongue for a moment before mumbling, “It would have been easy to put you under Kun’s spell but… I didn’t think it would be fair after what I did… Didn’t actually dare hope for more anymore…”

Slightly, Johnny’s eyes slimmed at that confession, eyes pensive. How someone could be so put together after the messy state of the previous night remained wondrous. “For someone with your amount of experience you can be surprisingly shy, not?”

Distressed smile on his lips, Jaehyun lowered his sight again. “I did tell you. The last time I tried to explain myself, I ended up being declared an enemy of the state, Johnny…”

“That was centuries ago!” Said man exclaimed affronted, seemed to want to add more although no other words regarding that matter followed. Only the almost empty bowl was pushed away, the meal savory for the meat had been cooked for a while, making the soup more nutritious than it first would have appeared. “Look, Jae - yesterday was… nice, I won’t deny that. And you make me feel” - now it was Johnny’s turn to vaguely gesture with his hand - “things, as Jaerin did. So I’m not going to turn you down now but it’s not everyday you approach your thirties and have a revelation that dick suddenly might be interesting you as much as cunts.”

The crude language had Jaehyun snorting, it didn’t fit with Johnny’s usually composed and well spoken self but the residue of alcohol in his blood must benefit that kind of dirty language.

“So I’ll just,” the younger paused, exhaled slowly, carefully, as if breath could be testing waters, “ask for some more time. If that’s okay with you?”

Curiously, the demonbound tilted his head to the side, eyes following up to look at Johnny’s face again, carefully studying the expressions displayed. Whatever revelations the other had had in the recent weeks, they had bypassed him entirely, and while he had only himself to blame for that, he couldn’t actually. As much as Johnny must have been shaken up by everything, maybe aided by the fact at least Ten seemed to be more open-minded in those regards, Jaehyun himself had been focused on his own problems, too. The attention he had paid his former lover had been subjective, had been born from worry and a selfish desire to stick around, he had not put as much focus on trying to read through Johnny, to assess what was going on.

Hearing it now, it had his heart painfully stuttering, squeezing tight in his chest at the same time as his guts twisted in this bittersweet way, tingled in ways they shouldn’t but not unpleasant. It felt off, not sickening, weird but not foreboding. It had him smile shyly as he looked down at the dark lines in lighter brown, study them as if he hadn’t gotten acquainted with them years ago. “Then,” he finally started, slowly, “do you want to stay the day? Get to know this new me properly before you decide whether you have to run?”

“I should have run the moment you told me you hadn’t watched Star Wars ever,” the younger snorted, lips curled in delight already. “I don’t think even you having a dick could compare to that.”

Jaehyun didn’t point out that he supposedly was also a wanted criminal, kept on a leash by his own hunter now, and instead declared, “I didn’t watch Star Trek either.”

At that, in mock shock, Johnny released an affronted gasp, hand clutching to his chest as part of his dramatic act. “How dare you! We have to make up for this, like, right now! You get the popcorn, I start the movie.”

Easy, it was so easy for Johnny to slip from one role to another, to ease the mood between them effortlessly, surely the very reason he had been awarded with the role of a team leader as well. Now it only served to make Jaehyun smile as he pushed back his chair and started to collect their tableware, slapping away at the younger’s curious hands meaning to help out. “I don’t have popcorn,” he declared, balancing on one leg as he simultaneously placed the dirty dishes in the washer and pulled one drawer open with his toes, “But those dried jackfruit you like and also some chips and-”

“Wait,” Johnny interrupted, a habit that would make the older feel bothered if it didn’t speak bounds about the younger being more comfortable with him again, “You actually kept the snacks I like?”

This time, as the flush rose up Jaehyun’s neck, coloring it a faint red, he was well aware of the eyes tracing it, the way it interlaced with the black wines high up his spine and revealed by the low cut of his shirt collar. Faintly he could hear Johnny mumbling something under his breath but what exactly slipped his mind. Jaehyun simply considered it a silent agreement and pulled out one of the bags in question, along with the spicy crisps he remembered them both to enjoy. Or, well, he did enjoy them and once he had introduced them to the younger months ago, they had been met with an animated reaction upon trying. 

“Just go find the movie!” Jaehyun protested, pout on his lips as he reached into the fridge to pull out some peach juice for himself. From the corner of his eyes, he could see Johnny actually go off to do as told, the action holding little to no effect as the older arrived with their snacks sooner than the first movie had been pulled up on the screen. Considering he had little to no knowledge about that series, he hardly could pinpoint on whether or not the right ones had been chosen, could only fall back into his unfairly comfortable couch and watch it all unfold. Where exactly his guest had procured the movie from, too, was a mystery for him he didn’t indulge trying to uncover then.

Lines delivered in English after they had both established soon into their past relationship started to fill the room, taking up the space between them that, much to Jaehyun’s delight, wasn’t as grand anymore as it had been in the beginning of their changed situation. Whereas Johnny had kept a distance during that sort of abduction from the snowed in cottage, now there was barely a foot’s width between them, could be easily bridged if Jaehyun as much as pulled his feet under the opposite knee with an excuse of wanting to sit more comfortable. He didn’t need to do so, he realized, as after only a little while he felt the other’s knee dig into his thigh, the point of contact also one of warmth that did not fade as neither pulled away. 

Unto the younger asked to try the peach soda, Jaehyun didn’t actually pay too much attention to Johnny, intentionally keeping his mind on the movie to not zone out again or, worse, get accused of not having watched the movie properly. For priorly that had led to him having to rewatch an entire Star Wars movie in its full length. But as he handed over the bottle, he couldn’t help his eyes fixing themselves to the way Johnny’s lips closed around the opening, Adam’s apple bobbing softly with a little sip, reminding him of the way that same pair of rosy red had hours ago closed around that part of his own covered skin. 

The same red that flickered at the edge of his vision which he suppressed with an angry glare directed at Kun’s tattoo, the feathers making up one of the arrows fluttering in delight, mockery from his incubus’ side. Just how obvious he must have been in his deed he didn’t realize until Johnny spoke up, hand reaching out to trace along the lines of black that seemed to dye scarlet under his touch. An impressed whistle escaped the younger, asking, “You didn’t tell me about that one so far.”

With a surprising amount of steadfastness Jaehyun looked into those warm brown orbs, swallowing heavily once. “Kun. He’s an incubus so he…” Nervously he licked his lower lip, look lingering on Johnny’s for another second, “He picks up easily on my own desires. Likes to tease me because of you… Which- I mean- He only wants me to be happy,”  _ and get some nice sex _ , he added in his mind, “So he isn’t harmful or anything right now, he just… He makes me feel less shy and all…”

A considerate hum echoed from the younger, easily drowning out the sound of the movie but that, also, might be faulted on those treacherous fingers still tracing the lines of black, rousing Kun from his sleep. Not because anyone’s touch could do that, no, it was specifically because the demon was mindful of any point of contact with Johnny, all the more when it had to do with the tattoo replacing his original form. “Then what was it you were thinking about, Jaehyun-ah?”

“You,” the older replied, a tad too honest, and continued in a whisper, “Kissing you…”

Those words, spoken so quietly, took a moment to get properly registered by the younger but when they did, when a spark of recognition and dark intent gleamed in Johnny’s eyes, it was the last thing the demonbound could take notice of prior what came next. No time to react, he was already met by the taste of peaches that matched his own, lips that pried about a kiss that wasn’t shy at all, seemed to contradict those earlier words of needing some more time. Accompanied by warmth, it lulled Jaehyun in, made him feel pliant next to the younger and so reactive, didn’t protest nor allow their kiss to break as his lower arm - the one carrying Kun’s tattoo still being caressed - was tugged. He only went along with the movement and adjusted their position, languishing into Johnny’s lap as the straddled the agent’s lap, sinking his weight against the other.

The taller’s free arm wrapped around his waist, kept him into a loose hold and, contrasting their last night’s eagerness, their kiss remained relaxed, a languid tangle of their lips, tongues meeting for a gentle caress without the need to dominate. A gentle exploration, an encounter that was all about getting to know each other anew, about finding out what could have possibly changed, and one of those Johnny pointed out with a teasing tone, “I guess now I don’t need to worry about messing up your lipstick anymore, huh?”

Words breathed into the hair’s breadth between their lips, every tremble reverberating against Jaehyun’s, sending pleasant tingles down his spine. He curled his nose, muttered, “Shut up,” and closed the distance between them again. Initially spurred on by Kun, now there was nothing about the demon’s influence tainting his mind, was not the time to give in to his desires or awake Johnny’s in tandem, was a moment of familiarity and affection not greed and lust. Even a selfish creature as were those born from hell would be aware of that.

Needless to say, Jaehyun didn’t recall a lot about the movie when it ended, and all his protests that it hadn’t been him who had started the kiss and caused such distractions were met by deaf ears. Cruelly, Johnny started the movie a new, and this time around the distance between them remained, was only crossed by nimble fingers tracing along the staggering lifeline on Jaehyun’s palm. 

★ﾟ.*･｡ﾟ

_ Are you doing okay? _ Nervously Jaehyun watched the grey tick beneath his text message into green, biting his tongue as he awaited the answer come from another of his phones. It had been almost an hour since Jeno and Renjun had departed from the rooftop of their residential building, taking the much faster route of jumping from one building to another thanks to their joined efforts, the magical circlet that was wrapped around both their wrists as proof of their shared abilities. An interesting ability indeed, for whilst they could only control their own powers, thanks to their version of a wedding band it meant they could draw from each other’s effects without needing to touch - if Renjun willed it, they could both be lighter than feathers, if Jeno enabled it, they both carried the strength of a giant punching. 

Surely it was one reason as to why they had volunteered, the simple benevolence of sharing their powers with such ease, a trait that made them stand out from all the other demons of his. And while it usually worked in their advantage, it didn’t do anything to make Jaehyun more reassured about this night’s happenings, not when he couldn’t be around to make sure they were actually well. It made him jittery, not because he didn’t trust them but for he already knew it would go wrong and he could, by no means, prevent this from happening. That Renjun didn’t reply - because Jeno surely would be more interested in his phone games than both his task or the messages - didn’t help soothe his nerves and it wasn’t even seven yet. Nervously he chewed on his lower lip, almost missed the stop he would have to exit from the metro to get to Itaewon where, against all his prior expectations, he had been invited to some sort of company dinner. If one wanted to consider the agency a company. Unlike going out for drinks with the team before, it would be their whole department that night, those who were usually focused on tracing him down, and whether this time he was asked out along as Johnny’s plus one or the trophy to their deeds he was not actually certain. 

When his phone finally vibrated in his hand as he made his way down the steps in the station, a wave of relief flooded him, and he might have nearly fallen down the last few steps from his joy to look over the message.  _ We’re okay _ , the first one read, other promptly following,  _ Hid as Yuta told us to _ and  _ No one’s here yet, gonna report back later _ . 

Jaehyun could only assume Yuta would have shown them the best possible outcome already, or maybe also not lest they’d become nervous. Demons might be fearless, didn’t cower in front of a challenge and weren’t the kind to back down unless it meant one overwhelming defeat because their pride mattered more than that, it didn’t mean they were immune to nervosity, to possibly worsen a situation by trying to escape it. How exactly the clairvoyant managed to do do that, deal with all this knowledge, remained a mystery to him. 

His feet carried him around the busy streets blindly, didn’t even pay attention to the way as he allowed himself to be guided by someone else instead, whether it was Yuta knowing his destination or more magic attuned Aisha who was so well aware of Johnny’s color already. Without incident he got closer to the restaurant he was supposed to, startled out of his thoughts as someone grabbed him by his shirt to pull him over, out of the stream of people and towards the entrance where already some agents were waiting. They hadn’t changed out of their suits, much unlike him, had their ties loosened around their necks of maybe stuffed into their messenger backs, some buttons undone, but some of the mostly men were still properly dressed, tie tight and suits without any wrinkles. As usual, he stood out in their midst, with his casual and more colorful hues, not just black and white, his jeans had that trendy washed out sky blue hue and his button down was patterned with soft pink. He could have been anyone like this, with his tattoos hidden thanks to Aria’s doing and not being overly familiar with anyone.

“Jae,” Johnny asked softly from across the small group, the intent gone by unspoken as Jaehyun allowed the magic to slip, the color of his skin peeling away and revealing the black lines along his throat, revealed by his open buttons, and on his arms where he had pushed up the sleeves. Based on how Johnny’s gaze travelled down the expanse of his legs, maybe the torn fabric revealed more of those black lines than he had primarily suspected. With a glance at his watch and before anyone could protest about Jaehyun being attendant, Johnny put on an easy smile and suggested, “How about we go inside already? Those working overtime know where to find us when they’ve finished.”

It sounded easy enough and, let off the hook by Johnny’s intense look, the demonbound finally had it in him to look at who had spotted him amidst all those people, coming eye to eye with Taeyong. Whether the younger liked him or not seemed to depend on the day time and time again, confusing Jaehyun more than he would like to admit although he didn’t say that part out loud. Only mumbled a silent “Thank you” underneath his breath, awarded by little more than the agent’s raised eyebrow before heading inside first. 

He still had his phone in his hand, twisting it in his fingers as he awaited the message that, naturally, wouldn’t come any time soon but he was awaiting for unreasonably reasons. Actually, not that unreasonable, he knew it was because of his own worries, considering how attached he was to his first duo of demons, the two who had stuck around with him ever since the beginning, since what must be considered almost all of his life. A worry that must be clearly written across his face for he found his hand empty for a second only, robbery accompanied by Johnny’s considerate smile. “Concern doesn’t look well on you, you know?”

The younger steered him through the restaurant with a warm hand pressed to the low of his back, perfectly nestling into the curve of his spine. “Will you tell me why you look so dazed or is that a secret?” 

A question that was considered a low blow, Jaehyun was well aware he had promised Johnny to not keep any more secrets so he could only smile wryly. “I don’t want to ruin your evening. Let me tell you later,” he stated but somehow it came out as more of a question than a fact, and for a moment he could see the doubt flare up in his somewhat-lover’s eyes, one that diminished quickly to give room to an accommodating expression. 

Before Johnny could answer, or either of them could sit down in the corner table they must have reserved in advance, a heavy weight tackled his back, arms wrapping around Jaehyun’s torso and trapping the team leader’s hand in between the two bodies. “Hyung,” Donghyuck asked cutely, a tone that was anything but disastrous, “You’ll pay for us, right?”

“Hyuck.” Johnny’s tone came out low, a subtle warning to their exploitative trainee and the shameless question. His fingers wiggled between the two bodies, signaling the younger to back off from the demonbound already and the increasing space contrasted harshly to the climatized air in the restaurant.

Jaehyun, on the other hand, grinned, giving the team leader an amused look. At the opportunity to tease the other, his worries easily slipped away, allowed him to forget for a moment, trust outweighing his fears. “Depends,” he started slowly, his gaze flickering down to Johnny’s lips for all of a second, “on what I get in return.” For sure, one raised eyebrow from the agent, a silent question that could be interpreted in so many ways, be it an inquiry towards whether Jaehyun was serious or what kind of payment it would include.

It hardly mattered with how Donghyuck grimaced and released a disgusted noise, muttering something about geezers being too old to flirt that mostly went by ignored. In fact, Jaehyun didn’t mind paying for the team, not the whole department with how he both didn’t know them and some of them still glared at him, and Johnny must be aware of such already. Even if not, for as long as it was his money, he was going to spend it whatever way he wanted and not all the sweetest kisses in the world were enough to stop him from doing as much.

“Hi!” The guy across from him startled him, holding out a hand across the table for shaking when bowing would already be a hassle. “You’re Jaehyun, right? Gave Johnny here a good bollocking after Mr Flash showed up? Sure was a show to watch.” Unlike the others on the table, the guy seemed to be friendly, more than enthusiastic to shake the tattooed hand offered to him but not letting go. Instead it was turned this way and that, to look at as much of Kun’s tattoo as possible, the intricate design of a wooden bow and arrows made of rose petals or feathers. “Lee Minhyuk.”

The man was good looking, and for a moment Jaehyun had to consider whether it was an incident or one of the agency’s habits, to pick handsome people, considering that Johnny’s team, also, was made up of great visuals. Nevertheless, what actually caught his attention was the image of flourishing roses creeping up the man’s neck, a detail that had been easier for him to remember amidst his drunken haze of a year or more ago. Embarrassment that colored his ears a heated red and had him look away for a moment, a tight grip of another’s hand on his knee that didn’t allow him to remain in his memories for too long.

“Right,” he finally said, pressing his lips together into an awkward smile. “Yeah. I did give Johnny shit for wanting to behave even more recklessly than me.” Then, after another moment, curiously asked, “Were you there too?” Looking at it belatedly, it could be considered quite the embarrassing situation if it hadn’t been for Taeyong covering him up before too many of the agents had caught a glimpse of him. The fact that Yangyang had materialized also must have added into the odd image of his that day, and he had nearly forgotten about it himself. Nearly.

“Unfortunately not,” Minhyuk replied in almost a sulky manner, throwing an accusatory glance at Johnny. “Would have loved to see him getting yelled at. Not many in the branch dare defy him, you know?”

“Really?” Now Jaehyun was all ears, had not heard a lot of the rumors surrounding the team leader at work so far but the job was a dangerous one and demanded a lot of training, he wouldn’t be surprised if most agents knew each other at least by looks. Before he could ask more, his knee was squeezed tighter, a yelp barely suppressed and he shot Johnny an accusing glare. A touch like that might have been sensual if it weren’t actually as painful as that.

Before he could get deeper into it, the phone was held out to him, green light blinking in the top corner and he was quick to snatch it out of the younger’s hand.  _ They’ve arrived _ , Renjun had written, but nothing more had followed after. Ten minutes before seven. His guts twisted, unknowing of whether they were simply busy observing or recording or actually engaged in whatever trouble already.

Fingers soothingly rubbed away at his knee with how Johnny must have a hunch of who the reason for his current concerns was because throughout their time together the younger must have realized there wasn’t much nor many that mattered to Jaehyun aside from his demons. Scratch that, nothing but his hellish companions mattered, everything else was but a bonus to his life. 

“Try to have fun tonight,” the younger advised him silently, warmth that should be considered reassuring displayed in his expression and Jaehyun wanted to trust it. Tried to trust it. Could only smile lightly in return as he looked through the menu he was handed, the several dishes the restaurant offered and his only saving grace was the amount of meat options. His eyes caught onto one specifically, eyes tracing along the word  _ heart _ , the kind of focus that didn’t go by unnoticed easily but was hard to make out. Only after they passed on their order for dishes and drinks did Johnny lean in interestedly, asking, “Did you just order several dishes because there’s hearts in them?”

A few of the surrounding agents looked up in interest but Jaehyun had eyes for Johnny only. Cheesy as it might sound, it was mostly to assess whether or not he could lie his way out of this but, then again, he had promised not to keep things hidden anymore. “It was easier back when I was able to hunt however I want,” he admitted honestly, not quite loud enough for everyone to hear although he could see the questions topple over in Johnny’s mind. Because he - Jaerin - had eaten properly during all their dates, he had eaten snacks without care just last week, and he was still drinking without worries. Thus he explained further, “I can eat different food, it just doesn’t do much for me. Would also prefer the hearts to be raw but someone called the police on me for that before.” Not exactly one of his most favored memories if he had to be honest.

The answer seemed to satisfy Johnny sufficiently who didn’t even question the police incident, not with how raw hearts were generally affiliated with demons and someone ordering such in a restaurant or alike must be pretty suspicious. Especially at times people had not been quite as knowledged in that regard. Rumors could be diluted, things weren’t as easy to be looked up as they were nowadays, and regardless off the specifics it seemed to be understandable. More than that, it served as an easy method to allow slow conversation to trickle into, once Minhyuk ignored Johnny’s ominous presence and started questions of his own, stories and tales, facts and inaccuracies. Based on what he heard, Donghyuck had showed off a lot of his new knowledge, even challenged an instructor on that, and at the given chance, more agents seemed to want to take advantage of the opportunity.

Hesitation was dropped over food and drinks, and the way the mood seemed to ease into something more comfortable was more alluring than he would have liked to admit. The dishes he had ordered, after he had picked out his favorite parts, were eaten up by the others with ease, and all too easily Jaehyun could forget about everything else going on outside of the little bubble. For too long he had forgotten that it could actually be entertaining to be surrounded by a lot of people, those who had slowly left behind the idea of him being a human devouring monster or whatever. A calm before a storm, peaceful times didn’t usually reach him as easily.

At first, he didn’t know what it meant, the way something seemed to have been punched right through his stomach. It was an odd sensation, difficult to put into words, it felt like someone had stamped a hole out of his body but there was no pain, a chilling sensation as if fresh air was reaching an open wound, feeling chill to his body heat, the way it felt as if something was missing when everything was still in place. His pain receptors didn’t flare up, there was no searing hurt, no mind-numbing ache, only this empty feeling right below his ribs, unfurling below Aisha’s tattoo. Another moment, a second that seemed to stretch out infinitely-

Then it hit him, panic washing over him like a bucket of ice cubes emptied over his head, chilling dread that numbed him into his finger tips. Before he had realized, he had already stood up, chair screeching as it cut through the conversations and he felt like he was running on autopilot as he pulled out one of his cards, uncaring for the name written on it, and dropped it into Johnny’s lap. “I’m sorry, I- There’s- Emergency-” He stuttered, didn’t dare look at the team leader as he turned on his heels to get home as fast as he could, instincts roaring and demanding he use Yangyang to make the travel as short as he possibly could despite knowing it was a useless deed, would only suck the magic out of him he so desperately needed.

In the end, despite the abundance of taxis standing prepared around the neighborhood, he opted for the trains that would so easily evade the urban Seoul traffic. He wanted to get home fast, not be stuck in the middle of a sea of cars, wanted to find out which of his demons had been shot like this, with a wound that didn’t just heal in a matter of moments.  _ It will end worse _ , Yuta had said, and it made him sick to the stomach. What could have possibly been worse than one of his demons being shot without immediately being able to heal?

★ﾟ.*･｡ﾟ

  
  


His hands were still sticky with blood, scarlet traces that painted his door handle as he pulled it open, expecting whoever to be standing there but not Johnny. It took him a while to blink back into reality well enough to recognize who exactly was standing in front of him, brows furrowed and looking much more villainous than normally, tainted only by the worry written clearly across the younger’s features. Jaehyun hadn’t even gotten to ask had the younger already spoken up, “You forgot your phone. And I guess your card, too. I got you some fresh heart from the butcher’s too.”

Did he want to ask where the heck Johnny had managed to get raw animal heart from in the middle of the night? Probably not, it was a question that could be asked another time, but the tone with which the agent spoke was soothing, a smoldering caress down his jittery nerves and he silently stepped aside to let his surprise guest in. A trail of blood that hard dried an ugly black was painting the faux marble floor and easily showing the way to the guest room towards which Jaehyun was heading again, towards the way bigger mess that was the bed with its white sheets soiled black.

Demon blood was funny, he had decided a long long time ago, because it looked black on any surface other than his own skin, the vividness of their bond depicted in bright scarlet maring his flesh and reminding him they were his responsibility. Each and every one of them. And it hurt him, to know of what he had needed to do until a little while ago, that he had been responsible for more of that black to be spilled with his own hands, the same inky fluid Renjun tried to bring under control by tightly bandaging up Jeno’s waist.

“Jun…” Jaehyun started softly, guilt sitting heavy in his throat and making him choke as he watched the so youthful looking demon. Renjun’s hands were covered in black, spoke of their difference in standing, but it didn’t dry, seemed to get nourished by the bond shared between those two. The demon didn’t look up, didn’t even halt in his movements, but the sorcerer already knew the fox was listening. “Take him to my room after this. Or I’ll take him there. You can’t- You can’t sleep here-” Amidst the blood of the passed out dog…

Finally the boyish looking demon looked up, black eyes focusing first on the magician, then on something behind him, and he nodded curtly. They hadn’t actually spoken much since they had met in the apartment, both too focused on treating Jeno first, and whilst Jaehyun was so well aware that Renjun just wanted to look after his mate, he felt worse leaving them alone. Because he had left them alone before and now this-

Before he as much as was able to finish his thought, he felt an arm wrap around his middle and pull him back, Johnny’s scent of lime and orchids wrapping around him almost cloyingly, surprisingly standing out amidst the smell of fried meat and beer. It was something he could focus on, something that grounded him as he felt how he was tugged through his own apartment until he was surrounded by white only. Bathroom. It looked very bright against the red on his hands, a drop falling from his fingers and turning black as it hit the soft carpet he was standing on. 

He didn’t protest as Johnny peeled him out of his remaining clothes, didn’t even notice whether his guest had taken off his own clothes as well or not. All he noticed was the way he was pushed underneath a stream of ice cold water, the temperature making him flinch at first before it became something that was actually soothing. Weird as it was to describe something as bone chilling soothing, he knew it made sense logically, that it was temperate stimulus to pull him out of his muddled thoughts and guide him back to reality. It actually helped, washed the confusion out of his system along with the fingers that carefully traced along his spine, knuckles gently digging into the hardened parts of his muscles to rid him of the kinks.

“Jeno and Renjun,” he started without prompting, looking at the white tiles of his shower wall because he didn’t know where else to look as the blood was washed off his hands, “are married, I guess. They’re cute. Really endearing. Like those stupid high school couples you see in movies.” They must have looked like one of those stupid high school couples during their date the day before yesterday, when he had tried to make up for what was to come without knowing what exactly would expect them. The thought made him release a wet sob.

“Jeno- He…” He frowned, fingers curling around nothing as he tried to explain it, because he knew he should not keep secrets from Johnny, because he knew talking about it would make it a bit easier to let go of it later on. “There’s a certain way of loading bullets with magic. It’s not really safe magic- Not many people know about it because it killed more people than it injured demons before. But it’s- it’s tricky and-” He stopped as he felt his throat clog up, allowing his head to fall back and his eyes to direct at the ceiling, water cold where it hit his skin and Aria’s markings. “The wounds can’t heal by themselves so you need to cut out the surrounding and infected flesh and-”

It was hell. He had never been to hell, had been told it was impossible for humans to cross over to that other dimension, but he imagined it to be quite like the agonized screams Jeno had let out as the knife had cut through his skin and flesh, worsened the bullet wound that had been grand enough to begin with. The bullet had still been there, stuck within his flesh and little barbs had kept it in place, allowed the cursed enchantment to flow out and infect the tissue like gangrene. Cutting away at the wound in generous amounts had been hard enough, finding the infected spots had been even harder, an almost impossible task without channeling a lot of Aisha’s abilities into Jeno’s body who hadn’t taken well to the stranger energy either.

It was draining, to say the least, and now only time could tell. There wasn’t much more for Jaehyun to do, could only leave it to Renjun to nurse and look after Jeno in the next hours and feed them both the magic they so desperately needed. At least after this night the worst would be over, they would know by morning come whether all the risky parts had been removed or not, whether the demon could heal well or not. Then it would still take a while, healing slowed down by the influence of magic, and it wasn’t something Jaehyun wanted to think about. He wanted to forget but he also didn’t want to, because forgetting meant he would ignore Jeno’s needs when the dog had gotten this kind of injury only because of him and-

“You’re doing well, Jaehyun,” Johnny’s voice cut through the fog in his mind not even the icy drops could clear, “You’re stronger than you think and your demons are as well. You couldn’t possibly know what would happen but you’re looking out for him so well. It says a lot about you.” 

Oh, if only Johnny knew… Guilt washed over the older again, because he could have known, had only been held back from that might by Yuta’s intent, a thought he didn’t dare utter as he felt the younger’s fingers rub away at his sensitive skin. The scent of vanilla rose through the room, and while he knew it wasn’t fair, not towards Renjun and especially not towards Jeno, he wanted to indulge the soothing touch for just another minute, just another moment. It had been a while since someone had looked out for him like this, in a similar way as the fox did for the dog, in a way he had sometimes felt jealous of.

Jaehyun, selfishly, didn’t want Johnny to think any worse of him, not when he had finally been able to take a step forward with the younger. It was wrong but wrong and right lost meaning with time as did money, monetary needs, the law. It all became useless in the passing of time. Lasting relationships didn’t, his demons didn’t, and it was why he treasured them as much as he actually did. 

“Johnny,” he called as he watched one arm reach forward, turn off the icy cold, those same fingers taking hold of his arm to guide him out of the cabin a moment later, “Thank you…” For bringing his phone and food, for staying, for taking care of him, for not screaming at the amount of black blood soiling the mattress and his sheets, for not scolding him or cursing him out. There were a lot of reasons to be thankful for, a lot of words that could be said, but none passed his lips as he simply allowed himself to be guided around by the younger.

He ended up deployed on the couch, wrapped in his fluffy bathrobe rather than clothes, and the agent took a while before joining him again, dressed in borrowed clothes as if that were bound to become a habit, blanket in his hands big enough to cover them both. Johnny silently settled down, turned on the TV to offer some noise, and silently cradled the older in his arms. It felt wrong, Jaehyun didn’t want to be the one to be weak when Jeno was injured and needed it more. It felt right, the way he perfectly fit into the other’s arms, a place to be taken care of at, a safe haven. It felt wrong but so right and he felt torn cleanly apart, the kind of feeling not even Johnny’s gentle words could heal. This was one of those things only time could possibly resolve. 

★ﾟ.*･｡ﾟ

Despite his muddled state the night before, he had slept surprisingly peaceful, if only he knew for by the time he slowly came back to his senses, blearily trying to open his eyes that felt as if they had been glued close, he could catch glimpses of the bright sunlight dimmed by the curtains. Curtains that most definitely weren’t hanging in his windowless bedroom, and it took him another moment to remember those as his living room ones. Someone must have pulled them close to allow him to sleep in without disturbance, same someone who was currently cooking in his kitchen, guessing by the delicious smell that reached him from a distance. It had been a while since he had been taken care of like this and it made him feel soothed, allowed him to sink back into the warmth of the couch.

His bathrobe had become a tangled mess around his legs over the course of the night, falling open around his waist and giving way to touch that he belatedly realized was not his. Fingers warm and splayed across his upper abdomen, just below his ribs where his breath was felt most distinctly, a rhythm that was perfectly mirrored by the person behind him. So maybe it wasn’t Johnny cooking in his kitchen and preparing breakfast for them, the fact that the younger had stayed the night and stayed with him still made Jaehyun’s heart heavily within his chest, resounding against his ribs in a way he was certain could not be ignored. It would make him feel more nervous if he weren’t utterly convinced the other was still fast asleep, laying unmoving pressed against his back, proximity he was no longer used to but like a starving man presented with food, a dry sponge in water, he soaked it up. Months must have passed since he had last slept with Johnny like this, and based on their position he felt reassured by how some things simply wouldn’t change.

Only the mystery of who was cooking remained, and solved by the time a pair of slender and skimpily dressed legs moved into Jaehyun’s field of view, solidifying his already built suspicion. The scent of tea filled the closeby space as Renjun crouched down, eyes and lips curved with amusement. “Cozy, aren’t we?”

“Shut up,” Jaehyun grumbled, unwilling to get teased by a fox of all people. His movements were restricted by not wanting to wake Johnny so he had to be careful as he reached out with his hand, lightly carding through the ruddy brown strands with his fingers, tracing along Renjun’s jaw. “How’s Jeno? And how are you?”

The demon naturally leaned into the caress, his animalistic tendencies having him preen at the contact, eyes falling close in delight. “I’m okay. Jeno is resting, already had something to eat too. What about you?” Slowly the boy raised his mug to take a sip, eyes opening again to focus on the human with interest, the meaning behind those words unspokenly obvious, Jaehyun had been more rattled than the two demons at nighttime. 

“Better,” the younger answered honestly, because he did feel better, not only thanks to the restful sleep that soothed his unstable emotions but also thanks to the warmth he received, physical and emotional. “How long will you stay?”

“So long as I can. But you already know Jeno will need to stick around for longer than me.” Until he was fully healed, to be exact. It wasn’t something Jaehyun actually felt bothered by, it was his responsibility and the dog was easier to handle, didn’t drain as much of his magic as others, all the less when Jeno and Renjun were considered two sides of the same coin, two halves completed only by being with each other. Naturally having only one of them around meant half the energy was used. 

“Go back to him,” Jaehyun mumbled, caressing the demon’s head one last time before retreating his hand, “He’ll want your company for as long as is possible.”

With a low hum, Renjun got up, the cup placed on the coffee table, an implication that was clear. “I didn’t know what to make for him though, so…” There was a wry smile, coy embarrassment, and then the fox was already pattering away, back to the bedroom to join his lover once again. Just short of crossing borders from one room to another, the demon stopped and called out, “You’re cute together. He didn’t let go of you all night long, Jae.” Renjun’s snickers echoed through the apartment for another moment, before it was cut off by the door falling close, glass panels covered by a curtain drawn.

Surely the fox demon would join Jeno in bed now, coddle him and fulfill his every wish, until the worst of the healing process would be over. There was still a literal hole cut out of the dog’s stomach, a wound no normal human was likely to survive. It was one of the advantages of demonic physiology, their body way more sustainable and resistant, and their immunity to infections and illnesses of all sorts were but a cherry on top. Jaehyun would be jealous of it had it not been one of the perks that came with bonding with their kind.

For certain he felt jealous about the fact that Renjun could stay with Jeno like that all day long, an activity he would love to copy if not for humans having more needs than demons. It made him pout as he glanced at the clock prior carefully shifting around until he was able to turn in Johnny’s arms. The movement sufficed to make the younger rouse, one hand coming up to cup Jaehyun’s head and pull him in for a kiss to his forehead before, somehow, their bodies ended up even closer. “Morning…” Johnny mumbled, tone low and throaty, breath moving the topmost green hairs it touched.

“Morning,” Jaehyun hummed, face hidden at the crook of the other’s chest, breathing in the faintly lingering scent of vanilla on warm skin. Underneath the blanket, he wrapped his arm around Johnny’s waist, slid his fingers beneath the thin cotton so he could feel hardened muscles without anything in between. Absent minded for a moment, he just traced along those sculpted lines, discovered and traced after them. “Do you have any wishes for breakfast?”

“You,” the younger sleepily replied and it seemed to take a moment until he caught up, the kind of reply that must have come almost automatically without further thinking it through. It made Jaehyun snort, lips pulled into an amused grin as Johnny corrected, “That’s not what I-”

With a short kiss, the demonbound cut off those words, grin still on his lips as he carefully pulled away despite the younger’s protesting whine. “Get up, big boy. I’ll have to make breakfast for you.”

All too well could Jaehyun feel the heated gaze tracing along his bare skin, revealed by his fallen apart bathrobe. It was the kind of stare that had his ears flush with fluster and his ego preen with the attention at once. Over his shoulder, he gave Johnny a coy smile that was responded to with a simple, “You know I can perfectly well deal with cereals too, right?”

Unmeaningly the older shrugged his shoulders, felt the robe slip further down his arms, felt Johnny’s eyes not tracing only his tattoos but rather his bare skin. A silent compliment to him, a confession of appreciation. It almost had him feeling sorry to take the robe off and exchange it for some proper clothes when it meant less of those heated looks but even his needs for attention weren’t enough to outweigh his better morals.

An apologizing smile on his lips as he slipped into his bedroom where Renjun was resting against the bedhead, Jeno’s head pillowed on his legs but the dog fast asleep. As a part of silent communication, Jaehyun raised his eyebrows questioningly but the demon only shook his head lightly, gave a reassuring smile. The injured demon was still healing, needed the rest time albeit the red traces beneath his nails told of the meat that had been devoured earlier, not as sustainable as a heart freshly torn out would be but better than the chicken hearts they usually kept in store. 

Quick as he could, he put on some fresh clothes and left the two love doves alone once more so he could return to his own romantical matters, namely in the shape of Johnny trying to work the coffee machine. Surprisingly, the younger still didn’t know how to get the black ambrosia running into a cup albeit that must also be blamed upon Jaehyun himself who had taken a bit more delight in delivering it to the other during the prior stays than he likely should have. Now it only served to his amusement, to see the agent with a toothbrush stuck between his lips and continuously misclicking the buttons. 

With a little nudge of his knuckles, Jaehyun pushed those offending fingers away to start the machine anew, followed by selecting the coffee as he knew Johnny to like it most. “Here,” he grinned, about to check for the mug when he noticed two of those standing beneath the spout. Two mugs. A very simple detail that had him flushing regardless, ducking his head away with the excuse of pulling out the cereals Yuta liked to munch and some milk to go along with it. With everything set, it looked different, the simplicity of it contrasting with the effort he usually liked to put into preparing breakfast and if only to impress Johnny some more.

Furthermore, his own braised meat steaming in the bowl was a striking difference to the simple cereal menu, milk cold from being pulled from the fridge, it made him inevitably pout as he looked at it. To the point he felt almost guilty as he put down his own spoon, watching as Johnny put down their two now filled coffee mugs, an expression that didn’t go by unnoticed, based on the younger declaring, “I’ve grown up in America, Jaehyun. I’m much rather used to something like this than your exquisite culinary skills.”

Somewhat, Jaehyun wrinkled his nose at that. “So long as you don’t pour the milk firs-” He stopped, seeing the younger reach for the milk during his speech, only reassured once Johnny detoured for the cereal box. A sight annoying enough that he flicked a piece of heart at the other as punishment, mumbling under his breath, “Asshole…”

The agent only smiled leniently, filling his bowl generously as Jaehyun also started eating. Like that, for a while silence filled the space between them, filled only with the clutter of their tableware, metal hitting porcelain, and the inevitable question Jaehyun did not enjoy, “So why exactly did your demon get injured last night?” 

Halting his spoon halfway up to his mouth, the demonbound hesitated for a moment, considering how much he was willing to give away. The chains he had cuffed himself with rattled as he thought about not saying anything, the shackles of his own promises made of diamond, unbreakable. He sighed, eventually, lowered his spoon into his bowl as he leaned back into his chair. “Those same guys who found us in the cottage… I’m trying to trace them down and yesterday-” He wrang his hands in the air, expression his own agitation to an extent. “I didn’t account for their resources to be on that level… It’s my mistake and I’ll admit to that.”

“So, those guys…” Johnny allowed his sentence to fade out, eyes darting to the closed bedroom doors barely visible from their position in the kitchen. “What exactly are you planning on doing?”

“After what they did to Jeno, I sure wish I could just…” Twisting his hands into opposite directions, he mimicked breaking a chicken’s neck, implication clear. It wasn’t one he could realize, could only forfeit, “As it stands, you wouldn’t tolerate me murdering so I’ll collect my evidence and then leak it or something… Give you and the media some work to do, I guess.” Surely he would prefer to track them down himself but intricate as those unions could be, he doubted he could do it all on his own, wouldn’t even be able to do it with Doyoung’s and his other demons’ help combined. But journalists and agents… Those guys were more efficient than a hungry rat trapped in a maze. 

“I’m glad,” Johnny eventually said, after some several moments had passed, “At least you won’t put yourself into further danger.”

“Very considerate,” Jaehyun huffed, didn’t like the feeling of having to hold back for someone else’s sake, these restrictions that had never applied to him before but he had willingly committed to. He hadn’t realized how tiring they could be before. The only consolation to his thoughts was the feeling of Johnny’s foot nudging his, toes curling against his instep in a poor imitation of a caress, a thought he appreciated more than the feeling of. 

With some reluctance he picked up his spoon again, well aware that Jeno also would heal faster if he kept his energy at a superb level, didn’t exhaust his body physically when he was already doing so magically. After another bite and some, he finally caved in and forwarded, “I’ll pass you the evidence in due time. Can you just give me until the end of the week?” His eyes were hopeful, demanding for trust he could not yet pay back, but when Johnny only shook his head affectionately, sly smile on plush lips, it was elevation soaring high in his heart for having his request accepted, his faith conveyed. 

★ﾟ.*･｡ﾟ

The weekend had been as relaxing as could be, had allowed Jeno plenty of time of rest during which first Renjun and later Jaehyun had watched over the dog - literally so by now. But come Monday, it meant he had to return to work, report at the office as a part of his deal and this time, admittedly, he surely was an odd sight. Coming by car meant he didn’t need to go through the main entrance, was spared some of the odd looks but nothing shielded him from their judgement as he stood in the elevator with a fluffy white dog in his arms and a bag of supplies slung around his shoulders. The clothes were one thing, a policy he broke because nowhere it was stated that he needed to dress up, bringing a pet - or demon - on the other hand surely must be against the regulations he had never read. 

Between trying to keep a good hold of Jeno and not upset the wound, the hole that still hadn’t closed up entirely and was coloring snowy white fur black around the edges and seeping through the gauze, guarding his demon in a stuffed elevator, and trying to get his phone, their gazes were the last thing on his mind. Probably he looked like some crazy dog uncle, further emphasized by the tattoos he hadn’t bothered covering up after channeling all his energies into Jeno’s healing process. Regardless, it was the last thing on his mind as he pushed through the bunch of agents to get out on his floor and head over to their department.

Johnny behind his desk was the sight that greeted him first, and it took the younger one look at the Samoyed to connect the dots and joke, “I guess demons don’t exactly count as dogs, do they?” Those words were met by a little snarl of said demon, Jeno already unsettled by those foreign surroundings and the bunch of hunters around, although the reputed innocence of a dog sure would do something about being able to escape without worries. Nobody would dare kick an already injured animal anyways. 

“I wouldn’t upset him, Johnny,” Jaehyun retorted as he crouched down, carefully releasing Jeno from his hold so he’d also have his hands free to take the dog bed from his bag and drop one of Renjun’s worn shirts into it, offering it for the demon to smell something familiar, something to soothe him. “He probably punches harder in his current state than you on your best days.”

“Threatening.” The younger joked, leaning over the table to get a better look at the demon slowly moving around, circling in his bed for a bit to get the cushion properly evened out before settling down finally, snout buried in the grey cotton. The bandages were almost invisible compared to the white fur, two colors that were alike, fading into one another. “How’s the wound coming along?”

From his spot on the floor, Jeno released a displeased huff, an answer Jaehyun no longer elaborated. Instead he dropped into his designated seat, swiveling around until he was able to look at Johnny properly. “I’m sorry I didn’t say anything before taking him here… Leaving him home alone just-”

“I get that,” the younger smiled softly, eyes darting to the almost immortal for a moment then back to the dog on the ground. A soft smile curled around his plush lips as he stated, “I didn’t think a handsome boy like him would look so cute like this.”

At that, the demon huffed, shyly moving his paw across his face, expressing his embarrassment. Observing it made Jaehyun smile, that a creature of that age could still feel flustered felt almost funny but, after spending his time mostly around Renjun it didn’t come as a surprise though. Renjun, as affectionate as he could be, wasn’t one to spout a lot of sweet words, would much rather express his emotions in gestures and thus it didn’t come as that much of a surprise that the hound was embarrassed by such open compliments.

“Careful there,” the demonbound teased in turn, “or I’ll have to question your interest in me.” Not that he would actually, not when there were so many reasons speaking against it, the fact that a relationship with a demon would be all the more questionable for an agent, or that Jeno was one side of a coin, inevitably bound to his other half, or that Johnny had already confessed his feelings and those, for a fact, were not easy to sway. Eventually Johnny was more loyal than a dog, had sworn loyalty to his heart and morals. 

In the younger’s warm colored eyes there was a spark of something, a little thing Jaehyun would just love to analyze further but before he could do as much, the door hit the wall for it was pushed open with too much vigor. Donghyuck, with more vigor than should be allowed at such early time, rushed in and headed for Jeno immediately, hand stretched out only to find it slapped away by the fluffy white tail. Colliding with the next desk, Hyuck’s hand caused a loud noise, verging on the border of causing a cracking noise of breaking bones. The pained noise that accompanied it was to be expected, a bruise surely already forming that Jaehyun didn’t dare ask about. Rather he pulled up his eyebrows and looked at Johnny, reaffirming, “Did tell you he is stronger than he looks.”

The team leader didn’t seem that impressed by the statement, rather gave the dog a wary look for a moment. “Hyuckie,” he called out softly, said youngster cradling his injured arm to his chest, “go to the infirmary and get that checked. And try to recall what your mother taught you about petting a stranger’s dog.”

Donghyuck for sure wasn’t the happiest at that moment albeit a bit relieved at being allowed to get his wound treated, turning on his heels to leave the room. At the door, Jaehyun halted him by calling his name and offering, “I’ll get us some coffee. Should I get anything for you to make up for what Jeno did?”

“Hyung,” the team’s golden boy replied, lips pushed into one exaggerated pout, “That’s not a normal dog, is it?” In lieu of Jaehyun’s answer, Jeno bellowed in upset, followed by a pathetic wince right after that his partner only responded to with one raised eyebrow. Their silent conversation was interrupted by the youngest, proclaiming, “If you want to make it up, treat me to some nice dinner later. Also, I want a choco muffin.”

The demon snorted, sounding amused as he most likely was despite not being able to express it verbally, and normally Jaehyun would be upset with Jeno now. Now the injury seemed like a free pass to everything, it felt wrong to scold someone who had already suffered at his expense. Therefore all he could do was look at his partner accusingly prior shifting his attention back to Johnny, “The usual for you?”

“Hyun-ah, you don’t have to-”

“It’s fine,” the older smiled, heart fluttering at the shortened version of his own name, the idea of having a nickname gifted to him by his kind-of lover again for they still didn’t put a real name on it. Spending a night together to soothe his poor nerves was a big leap already. “I need to make a call anyways. Watch over him for me?” With his hand he gestured at Jeno, could observe Johnny’s expression softening immediately.

“Sure. Whoever’s important to you is important to me.” The agent promised, lips curled into a reassuring smile that looked so very kissable, oh so inviting. Despite Jaehyun not being employed for real, he respected Johnny’s dedication and loyalty to the agency, not to mention how improper it would feel to make out in front of his injured first friend. Because this appearance, this fluffy white dog, it was also the one that had him feel the most at peace. 

“You’re a sadist,” Sicheng grumbled into his phone, evidently barely awake but already able to release a string of curses, all of which were directed at Jaehyun who was more busy studying the Starbucks menu, trying to remember all his team members’ orders. It must have been over two minutes of swearing in Korean or Chinese or Korean and Chinese until the club owner had calmed down enough to go in their conversation peacefully, “Why are you waking me at this ungodly hour?”

“I doubt any god cares about your understanding of time,” the older rebutted, moving to line up in the queue like the proper citizen he was supposed to be. The curious looks he usually received were missing, the unhidden interest in his tattoos and the power they promised, drowned out by the fact that he was so close to an agency where every single employee was inked with magic. “Or your messed up sleeping schedule.”

“You calling yourself a god now?” 

“You wish I were,” Jaehyun huffed and added a quick “Wait a second!” to buy himself the time to forward the overly long order that was needed for the entirety of their team. In his occupied ear, he could hear Sicheng’s breathing steadily slowing down, the human on a sure way to go back to sleep in due time. Before such was possible, he relieved his shoulder of the uncomfortable posture that was keeping his phone in place as he grabbed it with his hand again and stated, “I have another job for you.”

An annoyed grunt echoed through the line, accompanied by the dull sound of something hitting the sheets and Jaehyun could only imagine Sicheng tiredly falling back into bed. “You couldn’t have waited for later to ask me? What’s it this time? Raid the triads or something?”

“Haha. Funny.” Shortly he pressed his hand to the mic of his phone, requesting a bag to go along with his order from the employee with a charming smile. “I need someone technically versed.”

Silence ensued in which the younger contemplated the request, calculations in mind that the demonbound could not follow. Sicheng, in his unique ways, was like a spider and too many people were caught in his web, sensitive to the slightest vibration and alerted by any single thing. There was no one better to ask for any sort of information at such times. “You need someone to set up your new TV or build you a whole server system?”

“I need an exterminator, Sicheng.” 

“Connected to your other request?” The humane magician inquired further, and Jaehyun released a low hum in agreement. It was met by a sigh, resignation in that little noise alone, and the older was near fearing his request would be turned down when, “I’ll forward your number to someone. You should have your contact in a few hours.”

“Thank you,” Jaehyun breathed out, the early hour of the day making him more sensitive to relief that he allowed to wash over him gently. His eyes traced over the barista preparing his drinks, the whole list of, and ignored the somewhat grumpy customer that had come in after him and now needed to await his long order to be done first. Early bird gets the worm. “Send me the bill later?”

“It’s on the house.” Sicheng sounded a bit distracted at that, maybe already forwarding Jaehyun’s number as he had declared he would. “But treat me dinner for waking me up like this when you have time, fucker.” No answer was possible, already did the beeping sound of the call having ended ring in the older’s ear and thus, in a way, their deal was sealed.

“Idiot…” Despite his insults, he pulled up Sicheng’s contact once more to shoot him a message consisting of a few hearts only, expressing his gratitude like that. Much as he didn’t want to admit it, work might not be impossible without the club owner by his side but it most definitely cut his efforts short, saved him time he could use well on other matters like this. Not to mention the resources, money being more expendable than magic that he would have otherwise needed to waste on that very same matter. 

“Sir,” the barista called out to him hesitantly, lifting his fully packed paper bags onto the counter and pushing them closer, “Your order.”

“Thanks,” Jaehyun smiled, ignoring her flustered expression that he did not care about. At least now he had something to kill time with until his new contact did indeed, well, contact him. 

★ﾟ.*･｡ﾟ

There were a lot of things Jaehyun had anticipated when his new contact told him to meet up, mostly based on geeky scenes from movies, of countless screens plastered to the wall, dimmed rooms and empty stray chips bags. What he got instead was the address of some quaint little coffeeshop, the kind that had him feeling guilty for having left Jeno with Johnny because his demon would have surely liked the ambiency, might have used it as inspiration for his and Renjun’s next date. That was whatever now.

Neither did he spot someone looking anything close to a hacker, much as he could even imagine what a hacker looked like in first place. The most contact he had had with tech staff was when he had once accidentally spilled coffee over his keyboard in the office which had then malfunctioned and started to spam his half-finished e-mail with infinite rows of the letter m. Unneeded to say the guy from IT had soured seeing that, maybe thinking some stereotypical thing along the lines of  _ Women and technology don’t mix…. _ when it was Jaerin paying him in first place. Technology just really was not up his lane.

He was a bit early, allowing him to lean against his car as he watched the people passing by or heading into the little shop, took note of their curious gazes that stood out recently. With the agency hot on his tails and several personas he had to uphold, he usually didn’t show his tattoos quite as much, took on different looks or masked them with Aria’s help, and on the rare occurrence he did show them off, he was in a setting where it didn’t bother anyone. Now that they were all on display, the warm weather allowing him to have abandoned his jacket in his car, a lot of them were revealed, their size alone intimidating to the point of calling for attention. The bigger the tattoo the greater the power it held, and compared to most other people he had encountered in his life his marks were grand. He could understand why they were looking, their curious eyes on him, but it didn’t make it all the more comfortable.

“Man, Sicheng did say I should look for that magical model kinda guy but he really did understate your worth,” a voice resounded to his right, Korean a bit lilted with an accent but that wasn’t the most interesting aspect. Jaehyun almost released a sound of confusion when he found a kid barely looking like being legally an adult standing next to him, holding out his hand, “I’m Chenle. At your service, Mister.”

For another confused second, the obviously older just looked at the held out hand, a second of having to mentally shrug the matter off as he took it for a firm shake. “Jaehyun. I assume I am allowed to treat you to some coffee now?”

“Milkshake,” the kid corrected and sauntered ahead. For the second time this day, Jaehyun found himself queueing up for coffee, silently acknowledging the exceedingly long order Chenle passed on with little more than a raised brow of his own. It seemed almost laughable compared to his simple cappuccino order and the employee’s eyes conveyed that pretty well. The older merely raised his shoulders in a noncommittal manner, offered one of his credit cards and watched the smaller saunter off. 

At a table undoubtedly too big for the two, regardless of the many snacks demanded, Chenle had already sat down and, guessing by the way a laptop had made its appearance, Jaehyun assumed it was now time for business. “So,” he started as he, too, sat down, “why here?”

The probable teen gave him one look, mischievous orbs having turned more mysterious, and held out his hand demandingly. One of the earlier demands had been for Jaehyun to write it all down, exactly what he wanted, and in this case it was any and all sort of secret and hidden business relation between the man responsible for Jeno’s wound and those others who seemed to be affiliated. With how high ranking they were, he could only assume online security would be tight on them. 

“Several reasons. They got good drinks,” Chenle started, fingers already hitting the keyboard for whatever was hidden away from Jaehyun sat on the other side of the table, “Their internet is superb and I can’t be tracked down to my home. There’s no cameras to find you nor me. You paid so looking at bills is useless. For all they know, my older brother treated me a drink amidst my horrifying exam preparations. Also, your card read a different name so I assume they won’t even find you anyways. Though they” - Chenle’s eyes dropped down to the prominent mask tattoo from above his computer screen - “Well, that’s your problem then.”

A problem that could be easily solved, albeit Jaehyun didn’t point that out immediately. His magic was trickling out by keeping Jeno around but not as fast as it could be with Aria or Doyoung in his stead. So he didn’t hesitate to bring his hand up to his neck, acting as if his collar had slipped to let his fingers trace along the snout of Lucas’ snake. In response he could feel the tail move along along his skin, curling and stretching, a sensation that wasn’t far off from feeling a snake actually slither along his skin. 

After many hits and errors, of stumbling across his own two feet or getting tripped, he had learnt throughout the centuries to admit to his false assumptions. One of which currently concerned the boy across from him, shyness lacking from his thoughts as he had to admit to himself that he had severely underpredicted the kid. He trusted Sicheng, so if his friend had told him to go to Chenle, there was a reason for that regarding skill and talent, but to reach the point where the kid had actually researched about their location… It was more than he could have thought of. 

It also lead to part two of his short questionnaire, the answer to which he was looking forward to now that his business partner had proven himself to be more than just a naive high schooler. “What about payment then?”

This time it was him to be handed a list, messy scribbles on a piece of paper that must have been torn out of a school notes book. Now that he thought of it, the ironed pants and messed up button down Chenle was sporting might as well be part of a school uniform, it didn’t seem unreasonable the kid had been attending classes prior to this. From the corner of his eyes, he saw the employee approaching with their drinks and the first batch of snacks to place on their table precariously. He barely paid mind to that as he read over the short list he assumed was a lineup of games, guessing on how the first bullet read  _ Nintendo Switch (whatever limited edition there is) _ . Considering the kid had proven to be quite peculiar so far, Jaehyun shouldn’t be surprised but, alas, he was a bit stunned regardless. 

“Bring them along the next time,” Chenle spoke up in lieu of an explanation but at Jaehyun’s confused gaze, he exhaled exaggeratedly, faking - or maybe not - exhilaration. “Look, you might have about fifty different bank accounts under your name but I have only one and money can be traced back. Gifts not so much. So you better have them ready or you won’t get your informations.”

“Sure,” Jaehyun answered slowly and gave the younger a wry smile for a second before he turned his head, fingers curled around the serving student’s wrist to keep him in place wordlessly. Keeping a watch of the employee’s eyes was the only way he could check on Lucas’ magic doing its thing, the dazed expression that gave away how it was wrapping around memories to reshape them, something Jaehyun had always imagined to work like a boa constrictor with its prey. At once, the string of magic connecting him to the stranger snapped, much like the waiter snapped out of his daze and released a confused noise. “Sorry,” the magician smiled kindly, “I thought there was something.”

Promptly he let go, allowing the man to return to his work while his focus returned to Chenle who had been watching without proper reaction. “You magic people really are weird…” The kid rolled his eyes minutely before grabbing his laptop to turn it around, displaying an e-mail account with one letter already opened up.

_ We had some interruptions this time around. The mage wasn’t successful but more promising than the last. Had to swipe the police report under the table. Be careful of people following you as well. _

The time stamp of the mail read Saturday shortly after midnight, and Jaehyun’s stomach twisted with the realization that said interruption had been his trusty companions. Jeno and Renjun had been branded an interruption, had been thoughtlessly discarded just like that, and if the rest of the mail was to be interpreted similarly, at least one magician had already been killed by their bunch. By the very same man who had spoken up on national TV about wanting to support Seoul’s civilization after the demon attack only weeks ago. It was truly sickening, the extent people’s vileness could reach.

“This what you’re looking for?” Chenle asked, pulling him out of his thoughts with his monotone voice.

Jaehyun could only smile dimly and nod his head, not seeing any reason to bother the kid with what was going through his mind. On a whim, though, he asked, “You don’t happen to know anyone working for the newspaper, do you?”

The frown on the kid’s face was enough of an answer, followed by, “Whatever you plan on doing, magic model or whatever you are, don’t get me involved…”

“Promise,” Jaehyun swore and, seeing how Chenle returned to working on his laptop while devouring some sandwich all the same, pulled out his phone to busy himself with. His uppermost chat was with Johnny, the younger asking whether he should bring Jeno home after his working hours and Jaehyun hesitated minutely before replying in two messages  _ Tell me what you want for dinner then _ and _ Can you look up missing or murdered magic users for me? _

Even through text, as the checks changed color, Jaehyun could perceive Johnny’s confusion but when he received a short affirmative, he felt both relief and dread. Seemed it was time he prepared some sort of explanation already. 

★ﾟ.*･｡ﾟ

Nervously he flicked his phone this side and that, keeping himself busy as his eyes were trained on his TV screen where the ever same video was playing since he had first put it on the day before, once he had felt comfortable enough to and after Renjun had left. He hadn’t dared watch it and confront the gravity demon with a repetition of what he had already seen. Being part of your other half getting injured once sure was enough.

He, though, couldn’t take his eyes off it, of the conversation that was barely audible taking place between the elder man and the young mage, too young to realize the seriousness of this matter that was preparing a summoning circle on the ground. Summoning, not banishment. The entire opposite, an illegal deed that no one should engage in, especially not someone of a rank as high as this man’s. It was sickening, the way public’s trust could be so easily misdirected, to be part of a party that had been voted with a vast majority, with a dozen generous promises all of which had been nullified in that moment.

A white circle, all insignia properly drawn inside, the geometric figures Jaehyun had seen over a hundred times throughout his life there, always different depending on what demon was the target of the spell and, around that one, a spell of containment. Those two alone would demand a high level of energy and it was concerning enough to see with what precision they were drawn. Every insignia that was finished took on a subtle glow, a faint blue sheen like a magical fingerprint, signing that it was already infused with the magical energy needed to activate the spell. 

Once everything was finished, finalized with a few drops of blood, that activated the spell and caused a lightning like explosion of light, cracks that erupted through the air. Claws freed themselves, curled around the edges to open the door further but before they could, Renjun’s arm shot forth, the invisible force of gravitation that not only sent the demon away but also let those two men skitter a few feet away from the impact. 

By now, he had seen it so many, many times and every time the man pulled out the gun and aimed at the camera Jaehyun twitched again with the little bang that echoed through his living room, followed by Jeno’s surprised whine, one that didn’t sound unlike the yelp of an injured dog. After, the recording wobbled, there was Renjun’s arm wrapped around Jeno’s waist, the distance between them and the ground increasingly greater and the recording broke off only to start anew a few seconds later. It was running on repeat, as if there was anything more to notice in a video he had already seen so many times. As much as it pained him to watch, he couldn’t look away either, could only watch it happen again and again. 

Piercing through the silence of his apartment was the sound of the doorbell ringing, startling him out of his stupor to the extent of dropping his phone. At least he didn’t fling it across the room this time around. With a sigh, he paused the video and moved up from the couch to make his way to the door, picking a key from a drawer in the hallway cupboard to leave dangling between his fingers, held out right in front of Johnny’s face as he opened the door. “Think you dropped this earlier.”

An amused huff escaped Johnny’s lips at the sight and after the delay that was setting Jeno down on the ground he grabbed the key. “Is that the key to your heart or just to your apartment?”

The comment made his heart skip a bit, ears warming up as he shyly turned his head to the side, avoided looking at the younger right then. “Apartment… You already come over so much, I just thought it would be appropriate,” he mumbled. His eyes traced after Jeno sat on the ground at the entrance of the kitchen, tail wagging slowly, head tilted in curiosity. Jaehyun’s lips pushed into a pout seeing this, huffing, “Shut up.” The dog sneered at him, much as that was possible for an animal, and ducked into the kitchen, a hint that was clear for the taking. 

“Let’s eat. Go wash up while I prepare the table,” Jaehyun advised, fingers caressing along Johnny’s waist to push the older into the direction of the bathroom. He had finished cooking a while ago, had spent the time in between finishing and the two boys arriving mindlessly watching the video again and again. 

“Wash up?” Johnny asked, halfway down the hall and already tugging off his tie and jacket, “Am I supposed to stay the night?”

Lightly Jaehyun raised an eyebrow and retorted, “Are you not?” 

The grin he received was more than enough of a reply, looking unfairly attractive in the way Johnny looked over his shoulder. A sight to behold and tattoo into his mind, it was the kind of view he wouldn’t mind seeing more often, every other day, every day actually. For the rest of his life, if only that were possible, if only he were a mortal able to give such promise. “Your files are in my bag. Take a look if you want to.”

Like that, the younger disappeared into the bathroom and as much as Jaehyun would love to remain hung up on the thought of the most attractive man he had met to date being in his apartment, he also considered it important to find out exactly what was going on. Jeno winced in protest, asking for his food that was already placed on the counter but out of reach, when the magician reached for said bag first, retrieving the slender folder that contained the informations he had asked for and could busy himself with while the food was warming up and the dog happily gobbling up the raw chicken hearts. Still not as effective as fresh ones but evidently still tasty.

“Is your wound doing well?” Jaehyun asked absent mindedly, an answer presented to him with a happy bark that cut through his train of thoughts easily, followed by the kind of smacking only animals could create while eating. Under his breath he murmured a low, “Good boy,” and actually focused on his task after. 

Johnny, meticulous in his work as government agent, had already sorted the files by the categories of  _ missing _ and  _ found dead _ , organized by date. It was a startingly long list, not because there were as many cases but more due to their age, some of which dated back almost forty years. Magic users of a certain skill level were usually registered by the agency, mostly for their possible future within their ranks unless they were filtered out for questionable behavior or personal impairment, likeliest having been affected by a demon attack one way or another. More than that, due to their necessity within societal ranks, crimes against magic users were on pretty much the same level as against a pregnant woman, were carefully researched and searched until it was no longer possible. So to have a good twenty unsolved missing cases was more than questionable for that durance.

According to one’s ability, there was a systematic ranking as well. Jaehyun’s own had already surpassed their scale, the demons trapped to his skin elevating him further than a single lifetime could progress, yet as he studied the reports he noted how almost all of these cases involved people of the highest ranks, whether they were doctors, investigators, or whatever else was deemed worthy enough of a profession. Those below that ranking he put aside for the time being.

He was just about to start the second smaller stack of unsolved murders when damp hands came to rest heavily on his shoulders, breath fanning warm against his ear that heated up with the unintended teasing. “I didn’t receive my welcome back kiss yet, Hyun-ah,” Johnny’s voice echoed soothingly through the flushed organ that could easily have twitched were he a dog, much like Jeno’s had when Renjun had bid him farewell with similarly intimately spoken words. But whilst the demon was a dog and Jaehyun was still humane, the latter only tilted his head to the side to receive the little peck to the corner of his mouth. “Why are you looking at those anyways?”

Reaching one hand up to ruffle up Johnny’s hair a bit, Jaehyun pulled the younger in for another short kiss, prior pushing back the other stool beneath the counter. “Sit down first. We can talk over dinner,” he hummed, allowing himself another moment of carding through the silky soft strands. Despite those having been his own words, he felt like something was amiss when the other retreated to do as he was told, skimming through the papers he had looked at unto a moment ago. 

Quickly he skipped through the kitchen, plating fried rice and braised beef in generous sizing as he could only assume Johnny must be quite hungry after such a long day, and he awaited the agent’s reaction before he, too, started to eat. Currently he was glad he knew how to use his left hand decently for it allowed him to look at the forensic reports of every case, papers moved around with his right. At least a handful matched what he was looking for and one of which he passed on to Johnny. “Look at it and then tell me what you think.”

_ … indiscernible wound … gangrene … infected flesh turned black … no bloating … marks from the rope tied to the weights … irises have no pigmentation … _

A frown was quick to build on Johnny’s face, expression dire after reading through it and the years of working in such a cruel field were the only reason the agent didn’t turn a sickening shade yet. “You said Jeno’s wound was infected by magic… But that’s not what you’re hinting at, is it...?”

Minutely Jaehyun’s gaze drifted over to the mess of white fur on his couch, the spot Jeno had decided to curl up on after eating to the point of drowsiness, inspecting the bandages over the distance that did no longer carry black spots. “It’s exactly what I’m hinting at. Johnny,” he sighed, eyes moving back to take in the worried sight of the younger, “I think they’re abducting mages, task them with the summoning of demons, and then try to find ways to copy my magic. The game they’re playing, it’s way too dangerous.”

“Do you have proof?” Paper placed on the counter again, Johnny went back to eating. Much as it was a concerning matter, they were off work and also someone as dedicated as the younger would need a break from this. Cruel it undoubtedly was, to push the matter away for the night, but with cases that had been picked up years prior, a few hours more would no longer make a difference. 

“For the summoning,” he answered, the very proof that was halted on his TV screen, the video he had studied to the point he could probably project it from memory. “And the attempted custody of demons. I should receive more proof of involvement by the end of the week, enough to grant you permit of an official investigation.”

“I’ll wait then. Tell me when you need anything more.” It seemed too easy to be resolved just like that and Jaehyun would doubt it if not for the unhidden trust in Johnny’s eyes, the same expression of warm hearted affection he hadn’t received in a long while. Simply that was sufficient to make him lower his head shyly, pushing the meat around his plate for a bit as he considered it. His lips parted to release words he hadn’t formed but before he could embarrass himself with useless rambles, the younger interrupted with a cheerful, “I think wine would suit this meal well. What do you think?”

Words so unrelated to their current topic, it made the older snort and roll his eyes at the same time as he tilted his head towards his wine shelf. Whatever Johnny wanted he would probably get. At this point he was already too smitten to deny the mortal anything, couldn’t help himself smiling softly as he watched the proficient unscrewing of some bottle’s cork. “Johnny?” He interrupted their silence silently, waited until he had said man’s attention fully before he stated, “Thank you.”

His gratitude extended to a lot of things, not only for getting their wine. It was for Johnny trusting him again, for having enough faith in Jaehyun to let him pursue this case of his own, for not pushing or questioning him. For returning into his life as more than a colleague, reverting to times of Jaerin and him happily dating, for thinking of Jaehyun as more than a sword and a shield, more than a body to use for his means and curiosity. Gratitude for opening up and giving them another chance, and a bunch of other things he felt unable to recollect. 

Surprise marred the younger’s expression for a moment but it swiftly morphed into affection, mouth pulled into a little smile. “You’re really something, Jaehyun,” Johnny declared fondly, emotions bleeding into his every move that seemed well-nigh hypnotizing. “If you keep being like this, I don’t think I’ll be able to part from you again.”

“Who says I want you to?” The older retorted with a grin, more in tune with his feelings now that he could act confident again, flirt back like he was used to. Still, he felt the warmth radiating from his ears and Johnny, too, must be able to see it from their close proximity of only the kitchen island keeping them apart.

The agent only laughed at that, a short and breathy one, light and airy, the kind that was relaxing to listen to so Jaehyun also gladly did. “Drink your wine, Hyun-ah. I want to go to bed early tonight.” Glasses placed in front of their plates, their conversation seemed to be over for the time being, nothing more than little chattering whilst they finished dinner and cleaned up. Time had progressed faster than Jaehyun had thought, so by the time they eventually were done, he could readily agree it was time to go to bed, maybe spend some more time reading or on their phones or whatever but he didn’t want to sleep on the couch yet again.

With a little whistle he called for Jeno as they passed by the living room after their bathroom routine, trusting the demon would follow and arrive by the time he had changed into his pajamas and, indeed, he had barely so settled under the sheets did the dog jump onto the bed and make his way up to its head. For someone looking so small, Jeno packed quite the weigh and Jaehyun grunted when it dropped onto his chest full force, suffocating him as the furball got comfortable using his ribcage as pillow.

Johnny, approaching them, only raised his eyebrows a bit. “No cuddles for me then?” A question so simple it was easily answered by Jeno’s warning growl, soothed only when Jaehyun wrapped his arms around the small frame, careful not to press onto the wound. The younger only laughed at that, clambering beneath the blankets as well. “Are you really going to spend the night like that?”

Approvingly Jaehyun hummed, cradling the dog even closer in the same way he had done for as long as he could think, the heat of the demon that had kept him warm many more nights than he could count. In return, Jeno nuzzled his snout into his neck, obviously comfortable in their current setting and not planning to leave any time soon. 

“Jae,” Johnny called out once more, silently in the ambience of the barely illuminated bedroom but so comfortable in the way he had settled into the pillows, laying on his sight for a better point of view of those two, “What exactly are you planning to do with your informations?”

“Let you investigate,” the older answered, honestly, fingers busy scratching behind Jeno’s ear, feeling how the dog’s breathing slowly calmed down, heartbeat steady against his chest, echoing against his ankle. “I want you to unroll those cases and finally solve them. Grant their families the kind of peace of mind they deserve.” Eyes turned to the ceiling, his thoughts drifted off a bit, waited for any sign from Yuta that his plans were bad, might evoke some sort of backlash but nothing of sorts followed. “Report to the media too. They won’t just brush this off, the fact that several politicians might have been involved in illegal schemes of that level. But their job is to uncover their affiliations, Johnny,” he told, allowing his head to fall to the side so he could look at the other, “And yours will be to punish their crimes. Not?”

“No,” Johnny mumbled, “You’re right. We’re responsible for enforcing the law, not for supporting the public opinion. And you’re no agent so you’re free to do whatever you want. I just don’t want to be caught off guard by your schemes, Jaehyun.”

Amusement tinged his voice as the demonbound chuckled, careful not to jostle Jeno too much who deserved all the rest he could possibly get. “I think you’re more likely to catch me off guard, Johnny. You have a lot of unfair weapons in your repertoire.”

“Do I? Because as I see it, my boyfriend is currently using a demon to deny my all cuddles,” the younger shot back, eyes twinkling with mischief that could be made out even in the dim light, sparkling like the stars in the night sky. Just what kind of emotional turmoil those words, that one word, caused within Jaehyun’s mind he must be quite aware of for Johnny’s face was painted with entertainment, lips pulled apart for a bright smile. “Good night, Hyun-ah. Sleep well.”

It was cruel, so very cruel, to end their conversation like this. But Jaehyun, trapped beneath Jeno’s weight and still stunned by those words, could do nothing but mimic the nightly well wishes and await either a heart attack of sleep to catch up to him. Whichever would come first. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As I did say before, there's nothing much to add to this chapter, I think? I'm a bit doubtful I properly encompassed their emotional growth and their affections for each other but they're playing a precarious game of "we already dated" and "everything is new" so I apologize if it seems a bit off at times?
> 
> I finally also got to introduce another new character! Congrats to me! Actually, thanks to this story I also reached my this year's goal of achieving an overall word count of 1 million words, only shortly after making my 2 year anniversary! Yay to me!
> 
> Personal matters aside, I appreciate comments but you can also ask me stuff on [curiouscat](https://curiouscat.me/starrymeis) or get updates on this work and upcoming ones on my [twitter](https://twitter.com/starrymeis). 
> 
> Thank you all for reading and take care!!


	4. calming rain

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Can y'all believe this is my last hello for the time being now? Because I can't... I've been posting this story over the course of roughly 30 days, been writing for almost 2 months and... woah! I always feel glad being able to finish off my works even though I share a love-hate relationship with this one, haha. 
> 
> As part of this series, I've started [a little side project](https://twitter.com/starrymeis/status/1276997981594628097) too, namely I've tried - and will continue to do so - depict some of Jaehyun's tattoos so maybe that can help you envision some things.
> 
> I hope for this last part you can enjoy it as much as all those before, and I wish you a merry read!
> 
> **trigger warnings** \- semi-graphic description of sex. minor injuries. mentions of drinking and alcohol.

Like the calm before a storm, Jaehyun realized that leaking the information he had received from Chenle to the media hadn’t been anything close to as exhilarating as he had originally thought. There had been a delay of a few days during which the journalists in charge had likely further investigated the case, questioned the parties involved - or tried to - and verified the video, whatever else was needed. But once the first newspaper had written about it, the topic had blown up, other newspapers had picked up on it, the video had been shown on several news stations and all of them had put it under a different label. A good half a week had passed before they had managed to get a hold of the politician in charge who, naturally and despite all proof, had claimed the video to be faked. 

According to his expectations, though, the media had done a great job at digging up all the more informations, had worked not only with the emails Jaehyun had handed over but furthermore investigated all the other people involved. Politicians, researchers and scientists, extremists and businessmen, some of which were rumored to be affiliated with less legal activities. All of them had been inspected, been regarded with attentive eyes, predators just waiting for any sort of slip-up, and a surprising amount of information had been exposed at that, too.

Our of all the reports he had seen in the newspapers and on TV so far, the most interesting to Jaehyun had been undoubtedly the one when they had invited a university professor lecturing on the theories of magic. With frightening accuracy the older man had given an explanation not only of most symbols in the main spell, how each of them would affect what demon would be conjured but also exactly how the outer layer of the entrapment worked. It was an archaic enchantment, from times when humans had thought demons were a toy, something to play around with, not a threat to their entire race. They had been banned for a reason, had been changed and morphed to become weapons used against demons, not in their favor. A wake-up call, a reminder of their history, a tale Jaehyun had experienced first hand with all its ups and downs. He had been delighted to know there was someone bringing that back to awareness again. 

Compared to all of that, the effects within the agency had been way more palpable, more imminent, because he had been part of it. Starting from the moment he had presented all his proof to Johnny over dinner, filtering over what could be used and what not together so they could then file for investigation. The advantage of it was, surely, that all evidence had been gathered by Jaehyun in private, circumstances of his claim on them no revealed and there was no need to. Someone had been shot by the illegal means of magic, a ploy was moved into action, and from what the older had gathered from the higher-ups was that no one had been happy with that same video being all over the media now. 

It only seemed funny now, when those same people, the commissioner and the agency’s head of PR, for example, were now standing in front of the camera, discussing the matter with the press and coming up with all sorts of answers. Behind them, a bit to the side, stood Johnny, all too attractive in his fitted suit and slicked back hair, some of his tattoos on display, some hidden beneath clothes. By a vague memory Jaehyun seemed to recall that Jaerin had been the one to gift that suit to Johnny after ruining his clothes during a meal together, a shared lunch break before they had both needed to get back to their jobs. 

“Why aren’t you up there with him?” He asked into the room, swiveling a bit in his chair so he could prop his feet on the table, shoes carefully balanced on a stack of papers he could always reprint but sparing the fine wood from the disgrace. The old men talking barely echoed throughout the room, the TV they had borrowed from the meeting room placed on top of their missing leader’s desk so they could all watch together. 

“I know, right?” Donghyuck exclaimed at the same time as Ten snorted loudly, as if it had been the joke of the century.

Since Mark was scheduled for physical training this day and missing, Taeyong was his only hope, expressed with Jaehyun looking back with his eyes wide and hopeful, the kind of look he already knew the younger could not resist. Like that he could watch the recently blue haired wiggled a bit in his seat to get a better look at the TV. “Standing in front of the camera bears a certain risk because you’re revealed. So while our main focus is on demons, not necessarily every magic user or extremist agrees with our ideas. You make yourself a target like that.”

“Some crazy groupies too,” Ten chimed in with annoyance tinting his tone. At least those Jaehyun had already heard of, not to mention how many ladies in clubs were eager to get closer to agents once they heard of their profession. Right the opposite of men who tended to cower in front of women stronger than them. The latter was actually a tragic sight.

“Some crazy groupies too… It’s also not useful for our investigations if everyone knows what we look like and the few criminals we encounter know our faces from the news. They usually try to run away then.” Taeyong finished, rolling his head this side and that, neckbones cracking dangerously. “Also, having all those cameras up in your face is scary! They’re watching you way too intimately for wanting a statement only!”

Before Jaehyun could do as much as point out that probably was faulted to the agent’s face, he was cut off by the sound of Johnny’s voice resounding a bit tinny through the outlets. “Good morning, ladies and gentleman. I want to thank you for your attendance, first of all, and I appreciate all the questions you had asked the commissioner already. Now, to get to the base of the topic, the reason as to how that case was brought to our attention was for one of our own members being target of what we assume to be an organization. Furthermore, as you could see from the video, not only were people injured but also crimes were committed, crimes that went further than attacking me and my fiancée during our holiday retreat priorly. Only because of her...” 

Johnny’s words faded out, covered up by the laughter stemming from Donghyuck and Ten who were more delighted by those very same words that only embarrassed Jaehyun further. Hopelessly he looked at Taeyong who only shrugged his shoulder. “He’s not wrong. You were a couple at that time and, in public, nobody knows whether or not you are still together or not. And it definitely sounds better than  _ that shape-shifting demon affiliate currently kept in our custody _ .”

Unfortunately, Jaehyun had to agree with that, even though the phrasing was a bit harsh. It had him wrinkle his nose in disdain, sobriety quickly washing over the embarrassment he had felt until seconds prior. 

What got his attention back was the first question asked by a press, sounding a bit distorted from the distance between person and camera micro, “Is any of that case connected with the arrest of the unknown individual some weeks ago? Wasn’t also one of your agents involved in a case of disappearance at that time?”

An impressed whistle escaped Ten at the question, the journalist quick witted in the way of connecting the dots.

“That agent in question was me,” Johnny replied honestly, and Jaehyun tilted his head aside in curiosity, awaiting the outcome of this reply, “After we were targeted, we thought it smarter to take cover for a few days until we were certain of our safety. At that time, I did inform my team of my well-being but reassuring my fiancée was of great personal importance so I hope you can be lenient with me on that. As for the arrest… The magician in question was taken into custody and the misunderstanding was resolved. Due to the current circumstances, we will not disclose further information on that case but if you are willing to wait for a while, you can leave me a business card and I will get back to you at a later time.” 

Especially the last words had the PR head’s expression slip, evidently surprised by the sudden declaration and possibly not being quite as delighted by it. Understandably so, about anyone would be if they had just been overlooked by a junior.

Another interviewer was quick to pick up on the break - or the signal if there had been one. “How did your fiancée get those informations? Are you even allowed to use them?”

“As a fellow magician not signed to the agency, she was privy to different sources than ours,” Johnny skipped over smoothly, “I have faith in her and - as you are aware - some of that information was already proven to be right. The ones we received we are allowed regardless of circumstance because it was given to us by a third person. Whether it may be used juridically is another matter but you will have to ask the district attorney about that matter.”

A few more questions washed over Jaehyun, those he hardly paid attention to because they seemed to be too substantial for their investigation, included phrases he was not aware of. Behind him, he could hear Ten and Taeyong returning to work, the little cheerful sounds that signaled Donghyuck was playing some game instead. In front of him, he could perceive another journalist querying, “Where is your fiancé now if she’s not here with you?”

“Who says she isn’t?” Johnny said playfully, mischief quickly abandoned in favor of his usual charisma once again. “Favoring her privacy and safety, she is not attendant today, although I’m certain she will be awaiting me later. I’m assured this has nothing to do with the case at hand so we should return to that.”

Enough of hearing those words, Jaehyun reached for the remote to turn off the TV and swung around in his chair, turning his attention to the two agents still present. “Isn’t there anything I can do now?”

“Nope,” Ten answered, popping the p in quite the same way as he did with a bubble of chewing gum. “IT is checking the mails, surveillance is on the suspects, and we are sitting around bored and investigating the old cases. Was this a punishment or reward of yours?”

“Ten!” A pen flew across the room and would have hit the Thai in depiction of a perfect headshot if said man hadn’t dodged. “He’s just cranky because he has to look through the records, Jaehyunnie, don’t bother.” Taeyong curled his face in annoyance, eyebrows slightly furrowed, focus returning to his screen, to whatever wasn’t the old records then.

An interlude to Jaehyun’s boredom, for he had nothing better to do than sit around and look pretty until Johnny would return. Tiring as it was. 

★ﾟ.*･｡ﾟ

“ _ We will focus on gathering evidence for now _ ,” Jaehyun read off his phone, words stifled from how he had his lips wrapped around the straw of his americano, “ _ All measurements taken to prevent further crimes will happen only after that. _ ” The chilled coffee was soothing on his tongue as he gulped it down, eyes darting up from his phone to the agent sat across from him, perfectly cut suit standing out amidst the coffeeshop’s relaxed interior. Although, and that was worthy paying attention to, with the jacket discarded and the sleeves rolled up, flowery tattoo on one arm and black ink on the other, Johnny was quite the sight. “Did we not gather enough evidence yet?”

Ever so slightly Johnny raised an eyebrow, gaze almost teasing, it would have looked like mockery on anyone else. “We did. Distract and divert, I want them to think themselves safe for a bit longer. People make mistakes if they don’t think we’re onto them yet.”

“Speaking from experience?” Jaehyun snorted, nudging his foot against Johnny’s underneath the table and as the younger didn’t pull away or retort, their ankles remained in touch, soothing warmth radiating from Jeno’s and Renjun’s mark located there. Some of it must radiate from his skin, there was a hint of puzzlement in the younger’s eyes that was resolved easily with a few words, “They’re fond of you.”

A knowing sound escaped Johnny’s lips at that. “They’re caring. Not actually what I’d have expected but…” The sentiment trapped within the words was palpable, made Jaehyun smile affectionately. To be accepted himself was one thing, to have his demons accepted to - it must be a bit similar to how a single mother feels when seeing her new partner interact with her kids. 

Leaning back in his chair, Johnny looked more relaxed, more than he had all morning long after the press conference and then in the office, too. The very reason why Jaehyun had dragged him out of the building and into here, to allow them a bit of a breather and maybe to discuss matters without everyone listening in on them. For certain Ten had already teased his team leader plenty for that choice of words at the press conference, not exactly aiding with focusing on this current case. Not saying it wouldn’t have been interesting for Jaehyun to hear exactly why Johnny had kept calling him as fiancée but, alas, the younger had not fallen for the trap quite as easily.

Thinking of their case was yet to give up its placement of priority within his thoughts, occupied his mind even as he studied Johnny’s features, the sun kissed skin glowing in the afternoon sheen, the barely there disparity of color where concealer met skin for undoubtedly the dark marks had been impressive, the rosy color of lips that were swollen from being bitten raw, glistening beautifully after licking away droplets of cold coffee. Even the faraway thoughtful look clouding those warm orbs seemed picturesque, fitting for a painting by Vermeer. The beautiful sight was just one of the many reasons Jaehyun would eventually end up missing, his lifetime not ending with Johnny’s, the possibility of them growing old together nothing but an illusion.

“He was my first,” the demonbound broke the silence, not quite certain whether he had mentioned it before or not, how much about each of his demon’s he had told Johnny so far. Neither did the younger’s gaze give away whether or not it was new information, just attentiveness that felt like the warmth of the sun for a cat to curl up beneath. “I met Jeno when I was a kid. Without Renjun, he must have felt quite lost back then. I was an outsider in my village too so we got along well. The day I found out he was a demon… I acted on a whim, recalled that spell from a book and I just… I managed, I guess. After that, I left the village and Jeno led me to Renjun.

They’ve taught me a lot throughout these first years, how to summon them and use their magic, how to deal with different demons. They never told me their story but I guess they were ostracized by their own kind… Else they wouldn’t have ended up in such different places when they’re destined to be a pair, right?” Jaehyun smiled lightly, dropped his gaze down to his plastic cup out of embarrassment. The clinking of his ice cubes as he stirred them with his straw resounded loud within his ears.

For those moments silence prevailed, he felt thankful towards Johnny not rushing their conversation, indulged the lack of conversation that allowed him to settle his thoughts for a while. Only when he picked up his drink for another sip he heard more than he saw the younger move, felt fingers curling around his empty ones on top of the table, perceived the younger’s soothing voice, “We’ll get them, Jaehyun. For Jeno, and for your safety too.”

“And yours,” Jaehyun joked lightly as he squeezed Johnny’s fingers lightly, eager to offer the same comfort he was receiving at this current moment. Undeniably, Johnny had already been pulled into this mess, had perhaps revealed his identity as their target’s lover if some of them were smart enough to connect the points also. “What’s our next step?”

“I like the sound of that. Of you thinking yourself to be part of the team now.” Johnny’s eyes crinkled from the intensity of his smile, radiating warmth and appeal. “As for our plans - it might be a bit difficult since a certain someone spoiled our investigations to the media already but” - the agent shrugged his shoulders - “I guess we wait for the next time he tries to meet up for a summoning and pull a raid on him then. This is but a game of nerves now, Hyun-ah. So let’s be the patient ones and watch them slip first.”

Without any other choice but obedience, Jaehyun released a low hum of agreement, eyes scanning over Johnny’s face once more. Then, and just because he could, he grinned, “Alright,  _ my fiancé _ .”

★ﾟ.*･｡ﾟ

Middle of the night, Jaehyun jerked up from sleep, hair sticky from cold sweat and skin chilled from a breeze that did not exist, windows closed, no stream of air apparent in his apartment. Rather it came from inside him, dread that had washed over him and was still trailing down his spine, rubbing his every bone until he felt like the blizzards Jaemin liked to cause were raging inside of him rather than out of. Not even his demon’s warmth could counter the shock at the moment albeit he felt the heat running beneath his skin, drying the thin sheen of sweat that left him feeling sticky, nothing more. His thoughts had yet to catch up to the images that had been projected to his mind and process them properly, wake up from a nightmare and arrive to reality first.

There was no boogeyman standing in his room, no monster beneath his bed, and no killer behind his door, and while that was not what had made him rouse from sleep, it surely felt like a befitting equivalent at this current time. One glance to his side showed him Johnny was still asleep, one arm loosely wrapped around Jaehyun’s middle but not anything close to as tight as that it could have woken the younger up if he so much as moved around. Which he most definitely did, pulling away from the touch and getting up from bed to silently make his way through his apartment to get to his bath. 

Cold tiles against his bare feet, he didn’t bother with the lights as he turned on the water, took off his clothes. The darkness was reassuring, offered no possibility of distraction for him, allowed him to focus on himself for another moment and more, that time needed only prolonged as he stepped underneath the water. It helped, to just listen to the sound of it, the droplets hitting the ground, falling down on his frame, an ever steady rhythm that didn’t fail to lull him in. 

Just like that, time passed, lured him in, he didn’t know how much the pointers on the clock had progressed he didn’t bother looking but when a pair of arms wrapped around his middle and pulled him into a loose embrace, he realized it might have been longer than he had assessed. With a sigh, Jaehyun leaned back into Johnny’s chest, the warmth of another body against his that was so very different to the warm droplets against his skin, the steam that had already filled his lungs. 

“You left,” Johnny stated, hoarse, tired, chin digging uncomfortably into the smaller’s shoulder who didn’t have it in him to protest. “Bad dream?”

“Sort of…” Absentmindedly Jaehyun caressed with his fingers along Johnny’s arm, traced the flowers inked in pale colors and the black lines used for banishment. “Friday evening there will be another portal opening. I’m not certain what kind of demon will penetrate but amidst this chaos, Lee will escape your surveillance and go to his meeting with the magician. When they attempt their summoning, we get a chance at catching them red handed.” His chest felt weighed down by the words he didn’t speak, the possibilities of this future he couldn’t admit to. This burden, he had already decided, was his to carry. 

Mimicking his own movements, he could feel Johnny’s fingers stroke along his sides, slow and deliberate, caressing along Doyoung’s lines who was undisturbed by the touch for once. Not because Doyoung disliked the physical attention, simply because he disliked strangers, and stranger people touching him. Conservative and stuck-up in his own ways, Jaehyun didn’t mind, not for as long as his demon was tender with him.

“That’s not all occupying your mind, is it?” Johnny asked, lips soft where they pressed into inked skin, warm against Aria’s dots that covered so much of his throat. “You wouldn’t be here like this if it were as harmless, Jaehyun. The water is running cold since a while now.”

In surprise the older’s eyes widened, realizing with delay that, indeed, Johnny was right, the water wasn’t as warm as it should be anymore, Jaemin hadn’t warmed his body either, instead Goosebumps were decorating his skin, tangible to the agent’s touch. Worse than that, he had prompted Johnny to stand in the cold with him like this, guilt washing over him at the realization as he clambered to turn off the stream and get them all wrapped in fluffy towels instead. His steps were rushed, had him almost tripping and falling into Johnny’s arms, the question remaining unanswered between the two of them. 

His hands were careful as he tried to wipe the cold water off his lover’s skin but the question was still ringing in his mind, making him feel guilty for nothing, at fault for keeping things hidden from Johnny yet again. With all droplets gone, moisture seeped into fabric and skin, Jaehyun used the same towel to pull Johnny closer with, pressed one kiss into the vines raking across his collarbones, then another. “Yuta’s powers are draining. It makes you feel like watching a movie at hundred time its original speed,” he whispered, resting his cheek against the warm flesh, inhaling the scent that was so intrinsically Johnny. “You shouldn’t have to worry about other things…”

“So there are other things?” The younger asked, querying but not accusing, soothing and warm, fingers that danced down the expense of the snake tattooed to his spine in a similar way dread earlier had, only this time it didn’t leave him feeling uncomfortable. The contrary, it calmed his nerves, made him find solace within Johnny’s embrace. “Jaehyun… Will you ever stop trying to protect me?”

If anything, the sad smile the demonbound had to offer must have told enough. Johnny only sighed, curled his fingers around Jaehyun’s nape. “Will you allow me to distract you, then?”

At that, the older widened his eyes, a common occurrence this night, as it seemed, but before he could answer, he was already cut off. Lips that pressed against his own, pace languid but pressure intent, it was evident there was a motive behind the kiss, a proposition Jaehyun was not about to turn down.

The black ink along his lower arm slowly tinted red, a tickle against his skin, as if caressed by a feather, tender heat that coursed through his body, made him more pliant to touch. It had him sighing into the kiss, the snug slinkiness as he pressed his frame against Johnny’s, looked for the kind of warmth none of his demons could gift him with. He could sense some of the effects taking place, the upside of having an incubus bound to one’s skin, findings that transcended way past simple sexual appeal, fruits he had taken years to estimate and understand. Now they worked to his advantage, made him overlook the bewilderment Yuta had caused him, made him ignore the sleepy state of his limbs, had him focus on his surroundings and Johnny as he carefully maneuvered them around his flat. 

Against his knees the mattress was soft, giving way beneath their shared weight, Johnny on his back, between his legs. A beautiful sight, spread out on his mattress, warm hues of skin that contrasted the cool sheets, angles and lines almost entirely swallowed up by the shadows of night. Intrinsically he simply knew, was aware that Johnny must look beautiful like this, bare skin and hardened muscles. Black tattoos that stood out regardless of the lack of light. 

Sitting up a bit allowed Jaehyun to trace his fingers along some of them, the little nail he knew was a spell of sorts, one he could only try to guess about, the vines he was aware had been a deed done in the spurt of youth. Flowers, here and there, they looked as magical as they missed exactly that. He had never asked what each of them meant, whether they were infused with magic or not, knew of the intimacy that came with this knowledge. It was different if people worked together, they needed to know each other’s abilities but for Johnny and Jaehyun, a couple in love, knowing these details entailed no less vulnerability than spending the night in each other’s embrace.

With a shaky inhale air entered his lungs, quivering fingers, and Jaehyun found himself turned to his back before he had released that same leap of breath again. Barely so he could make out Johnny’s figure against the ceiling, but he could very well sense his presence, could feel the heat of another body, could sense Johnny’s thighs pressing against his own, spreading them apart to accomodate for another set of limbs. There were more points of contact, more skin touching skin, when the younger leaned in for another kiss, allowing their lips to engage in one mellow kiss. 

“I never… I haven’t done this with a man before,” Johnny admitted, so innocent and naive, Jaehyun couldn’t help but smile. This wasn’t new knowledge to him, those same words with a different meaning he had heard before, when Johnny had agreed to dating again. For someone who was such a romantic, who didn’t engage in one-night-stands and flings, who didn’t just fool around, not having dated a man did equal not having slept with one at that time.

“I know,” Jaehyun whispered, wrapped his arms around broad shoulders to get a better feeling for where the other was, to allow his lips to set way and explore, trace along Johnny’s jaw and throat, up to his ear and over his cheek down to his lips again. Kun’s magic tickled his body, tender caresses, they told him exactly what kind of effect it had on his physique. 

He hadn’t needed to explain this before, it made him feel awkward more than he would have thought. Decades had passed since he had last needed to verbally guide someone through this act, virgins of any sort weren’t exactly who he went for. It just proved Johnny was his exception for too many things, matters he thought resolved before, questions he had considered to have found answers to.

“There’s,” he started, teeth digging into the younger’s lower lip rather than his own, tugging at it slightly, “lube in the nightstand. If you ignore that I won’t get wet by myself, I promise it will be just the same.”

A bit more clumsily than usual, Johnny clambered around the sheets, reached over towards the nightstand on Jaehyun’s side of the bed and with how empty it was, it didn’t take long for the little tube to be found and end up on the mattress next to them. “Don’t you need to… You know to-” He asked stuttering, endearing in the way he worried and cared, as if he had actually tried to look it up.

In retaliation, Jaehyun raised his arm to hover above his face, the lines that were originally supposed to be black glowing the faintest of red, just sufficient to be seen in the room missing light. “Handicap,” he whispered, an incubus’ magic already flowing through him, adjusting to the situation. 

“Really?” Johnny asked, a hint of disbelief in his tone that Jaehyun belatedly realized to be faulted to the pun he had inadvertently made, seeing the lowest of the red lines curving down to his hand. There was a saying that being able to laugh while having sex was a good indicator for a working relationship, to not be disturbed by the little awkward moments in between, the jokes that could always come up at any possible time.

Sex was intimate but it shouldn’t be stiff, shouldn’t be regarded as a deed to be done only, executed with robotic accuracy. It was fun and exciting with strangers, sometimes disappointing and sometimes enlightening, but all the more so, it was an exploration with someone to love. It was about finding those little spots, the ones that would have your partner moaning and gasping, or giggling and swatting at your hand. To get to know each other on a different level, see and reveal such most vulnerable state. It was unlike anything else. 

“Are you certain?” The younger prompted again, another flicker of hesitation that contrasted his movements, fingers reaching for the lube again. With a bit of pressure, the lid flipped open with a click, and as easily as Johnny had done that as necessary he felt to close it again.

“Johnny,” Jaehyun whispered, careful in the darkness as he stretched his arm upwards until his fingers met warm skin, needing a moment until he was able to cup the other’s face gently, “You won’t hurt me. You  _ could _ not hurt me. Don’t feel nervous only because this is a first for you.” So close he could feel and hear Johnny release a heavy breath, some tension seeming to seep out of him, but Jaehyun had meant his every word. In all this time spent together, he had come to know a lot of things about his boyfriend, some of them more obvious and some a bit hidden, and one of those included knowing the younger was too soft, too tender and caring to attempt any hurt. 

Still, just to loosen the atmosphere some more, to soothe Johnny’s nerves, he added, “It won’t be any more painful than it has been all those times before.”

Momentarily the agent froze up, startled by the insinuation he could have caused Jaerin pain, and let up again when remembering how smoothly it had run all the time, the entire lack of discomfort their every sex had been blessed with. More than Jaehyun’s every soothing word this reminder seemed to work, allowed worries to be blown over, smoothed out, be replaced by the slick sound of lube meeting skin and getting smeared around. A sound that shouldn’t be arousing, a wet bunch of noises, it was the intent behind it that made it so exhilarating for Jaehyun, to be aware of how soon he would be filled with Johnny again, mind consumed, body taken. It had him feeling impatient, an annoyed mewl rolling off his tongue, neediness amplified by Kun’s yearn to feed.

“Johnny,” he groaned, head dropping back into the pillows as he raised his leg, pressed his heel into the younger’s lower back demandingly. He didn’t want to wait any longer, didn’t want to be held up by measly preparation and the spread of lube. A sentiment that caught up to his incubus with ease, a wave of magic that radiated outwards, travelled through his fingers attached to Johnny’s skin and caused the other to crumple atop of him. Muscles faltered but retained their strength just in time, and Jaehyun didn’t dare complain about the lack of proximity when he felt an arm hook around his raised knee, spread him further apart. Instead, a loud moan left him as he arched his back, choked off only by the wet touch of Johnny’s dick against his hole.

True to his unspoken words, Kun had taken care of all he did not want to waste time on, the textbook definition of the  _ don’t _ s of sex between men. Only they did not affect him the same way, muscles not locking up as Johnny slid inside carefully slow, hung up on his worries despite Jaehyun’s every reassurance. Not that it took any of the impact away, on the contrary, being allowed to perceive every little thing had his mind going into overdrive, mind shutting off as his eyes fell close. 

A pleased sigh left his lips by the time their hips met, dull pain blooming where they met that only added to his pleasure. There was no good without bad, no pleasure without pain, only Johnny flooding every last cranny of his whole being like water flowing into a box of clear glass. A second passed, another and more, during which they remained unmoving as Johnny gave him time to grow comfortable with being spread open like this. Moments that felt too long with nothing else to fill Jaehyun’s mind when he wanted to feel more and always more, unrelenting greed, indiscernible desire that never let up for it was influenced by demonic craving for an endless increase. 

To allow their lips to meet for a kiss that was almost desperate from his side, Jaehyun pulled the other down, curled his fingers around Johnny’s shoulders even when the new angle meant his leg was stretched further, pressed against his own side. He didn’t mind, flexible and stubborn enough to take the risk of a sore muscle the day after, too focused on his lover to care about anything but the faintest hint of mint on his tongue, the heated air between their bodies being just short of touching. 

“Hyun-ah,” the younger whispered, staccato syllables broken apart by their unbroken kiss, “You’re really… something…” Words followed by a word as Jaehyun intentionally tightened his muscles and ground up his hips in an attempt to get deeper and drive Johnny crazy. Provocation met by an instinctive thrust it backlashed on the older who groaned around Johnny’s tongue, dug his nails into warm muscles unto angry red streaks were sure to decorate the agent’s back come morning. 

With a weak smile on his lips, Jaehyun retorted silently, “‘m yours… This night and for as many more as you want me to…” Because he already knew, when and where they would part would never be up to him, not for as long as he could prevent just that, was a decision he had put into Johnny’s benighted hands along with his heart ever since the day he had first confessed his love with lips painted red. His time was not limited, he was granted the luxury of being loyal, was never pressured by humane urges to cut his dedications short for a fear of death, was influenced by demonic eyes setting their eyes on a goal they would risk anything for to reach. 

Against his own, he could feel Johnny’s lips pull into a smile, too, accompanied by the gentle flux of muscles as he started to move, a series of slow push and pull, a rhythm that was as straining as it was rewarding, allowed them to soak up each other’s essence so easily, without disturbance. “They won’t be countable then,” the taller whispered back, affection dripping from his words, a single droplet of water hitting hot stone, evaporating, heating up the body beneath instantaneously. 

“Let’s make them uncountable. Together,” Jaehyun requested, pleading subtly, “Spend your lifetime with me. Spend  _ my _ lifetime with me.” His free foot pressed into the mattress for support just so he could undulate his hips, meet every prolonged movement with his own, and tighten his muscles in tandem with Johnny’s slide. Maybe this had started because of him, exorcise Yuta’s lingering effects from his self, but it was not for him alone, nobody could make love on their own, needed a partner, another half. The feathers and the stone that made up his ankle, an intricate heart, there was always two sides to an every coin, two halves that made up a whole.

“If only I could…” A faint whisper in the dark, a distant reminder of their disparity in lifetime, it was like setting an ouroboros next to a crooked nail, one that would never end and one that was twisted, destined to end. It hurt, and this time it was not the pleasing kind, it was a painful pinprick to Jaehyun’s heart, an aching he could not evade. Matters meant to be finite, to finish over time, were best to be enjoyed while they lasted. Don’t waste what will disappear, don’t toy with what might break. Treasure every moment, every second, every touch.

He wanted to treasure it all, record it all within his mind, recall it later on. Wanted to accept it all like every thrust of Johnny pushing into his body, filling him up again and again, make sure he was not left feeling empty for long. Cram memories into every corner of his mind, make sure it was never left empty for too long, be certain every bad memory would be outshone by a hundred good and more. 

Fingers tracing honeyed skin, the older traced tense muscles and further down still unto his digits found their match pressed into the sheets, until their hands were entwined, lifelines meeting like mirror images, a spell between lovers to make sure they remained entwined. “I love you,” Jaehyun mumbled, moved his other arm up higher to allow the barely there sheen of red to illuminate that face he wanted to wake up looking at in the morning time and time again. All sharp angles and soft curves, cheeks flushed regardless of the hue of magic radiating from his forearm, eyes black holes that sucked him in, never to let him go. “I love you, Youngho, love you so much.”

A gentle kiss as answer had him almost deflating, not hearing those same words back was disappointing regardless of his interest in the kiss, in tasting Johnny’s lips again and again. So attached to the taste, he whined in protest as he was denied more, tilted his head to the side when feeling wet little pecks pressed along the line of his cheekbones, kissing the arch of his own blush, the heat that was claiming the whole of his body and reddening his skin.

Breathless exhales that met his ears, the air that had been stolen from both their lungs despite the slow pace, intensity of every touch raised with their lack of sight, relying on their other senses to get their fill of attachment, it had Jaehyun feeling sensitive, moan from that simple brush of breath. Tender caress, a prelude for more, stream of air broken and morphed, shaped into something new, something indescribably more intimate.

Too much time had happened, so many years and decades, centuries possibly, since he had last felt like this. Stupidly his mind had returned to immature age, had lead him to believe that making love like this would be too little, could not be enough to satisfy his body and Kun’s craving for more. It seemed out of his reach, the idea of such sensible touch being enough to satiate his need and beyond, to fulfill his every wish he had not known about before. Falling in love was a difficult task, between finding a person to arouse interest and actually let them in, to unravel in front of them, within their arms, it was a different matter entirely. More vulnerable than during any other kind of sex, it was not just one’s body that was lain bare, it was one’s heart as well, a house with every window’s curtains pulled back, letting in the morning sun, inviting the affection and trust of their beloved. 

He had forgotten about it, how intense it could be in an entirely different manner until this very moment, this second of getting his every desire accomplished, his heart accepted, his body sated. It lured a breathless moan from his throat as he came between their bodies, searing hot droplets that seemed to burn his skin like poison, a proof of his emotions he could not deny. A genie and the three wishes offered. Three wishes Jaehyun found fulfilled with three easy words.

“ _ I love you _ , Jaehyun.”

★ﾟ.*･｡ﾟ

Friday afternoon saw Jaehyun trailing after Yuta, sipping on his smoothie as he paid attention to the thin thread of magic trickling between them, like a wet string that was dripping water in its wake, magic was also bouncing and falling between them. Whenever it did, he knew the demon was trying to trace something, find out which of the futures that were possible was the one most accurate. It was tiring work and it took time, so he hadn’t protested any of the weird requests that had come up, even when he had been dragged into a piercing store. However that was supposed to be connected to finding this night’s place of unrule anyways.

“You know,” the older spoke up unsolicited, eyes tracing their surrounding streets that were only becoming more somber with time, quarters Jaehyun was not actually familiar with, “Johnny does you good. You should keep him. Ignore what Doyoung says, that guy’s been underfucked since before I met you.”

At the mention, Jaehyun perked up a bit. It was rare for his demons to speak of their lives on the other side of the veil that kept their worlds apart, blame it on reasons unknown to him. He knew better than to pry for answers he would not receive, setting his aim to places he could actually go, “You tell me to keep him as if I actually had a choice.”

From over his shoulder, Yuta looked at him, the kind of expression in his eyes that gave away too many things and yet none at all because Jaehyun couldn’t read the words written within golden irises, a foreign language he could not decipher. “We have a lot more chances in life than we think, Jaehyun.” With calm steps the demon lead the way further down the road, leading to what must be an old company building, abandoned storage halls to be recognized from the windows being placed so high up, topped by what must have been the office rooms. 

“‘s that it?” Jaehyun asked, assessing the building carefully. It didn’t look like it had been in use for a while now, rather like the kind of building that would soon be bought by some conglomerate to be torn down and replaced by a residency. Unless, of course, it had already been bought by someone with the appropriate funds, a question that burnt hot on his tongue. 

He needed little more than Yuta’s approving nod to pull out his phone and dial Johnny’s number. From what he had gathered in the morning, two hours spent in the office and then some several messages exchanged throughout passing time, the agent was more than busy, having to navigate the mission plan based on the scarce information Jaehyun had been able to forward and direct his men accordingly, all while fighting it out with the security department that kept track of the veil’s magical flow, looking for ruptures wherever they could come up and when. Usually, based on what he had learnt so far, those warnings were short-timed and inaccurate and yet they had come such a long way. 

Only a decade ago, there had been no proper warning system - sure, they had had magicians within their forces who had specialized in tracking down sources of love but they had only been able to act once the damage had already been done, and sometimes even they had been overrated. A demon leaving as much impact as the walking lightning flash weeks ago was easy enough to recognizable without any further aid too. 

Compared to that, the new equipment sure was progress, it was merely Jaehyun’s estimate on their usefulness that was lacking. Anyone could tell demons would aim for Seoul, simply because urban areas meant more food - more humans to fry and gobble up, tear the hearts out of their meager chests to devour while still nicely hot - and more than that not even those magical technologists could tell in advance. 

“Hyun-ah,” Johnny’s warm voice greeted him promptly, exhaustion evident and so far the older had yet to feel worried only because he knew the agent had rested well, had eaten breakfast properly to be energized for the day. But none of them was enough to prepare one for the mental strain that was such huge project. “Did you find anything yet?”

“Hm.” His eyes searched quickly for a doorplate that would tell him the address of this current place. “Can you check some property for me?”

“Sure.” Some clattering was audible, Jaehyun could only suspect it were pens that Johnny had dropped yet again in his attempts to sort through his papers, for as remarkable as he was as an agent quite as clumsy he could be in everyday life. When prompted, the demonbound read off the street name, heard the clicking of the keyboard echo through the line before it was drowned out by Johnny’s voice, “Belongs to some company whose… tax number is a fraud.” Some clicking around followed, shuffling that could not be assigned to a certain task. “Whoever actually owns, the company is listed in some documents of Lee’s party. Is that where you want us tonight?”

“Earlier if you want me to invite you to a quick date,” Jaehyun offered, teasing smile on his lips, “Or to get away from all the stress that is the office. Have Ten suffer in your stead or whoever else falls victim.”

The laughter trickling through was like a sweet treat after a tiring day, mellow like strawberries with cream and sprinkled with sugar. “You’d like that, wouldn’t you?”

With a notion of his name, Yuta interrupted their conversation of which only half could be heard by the demon standing some meters away. “The attack later… It will likely be a big one. The more they send the more will die.”

Slowly, the human blinked at the information, tried to process and digest it thanks to the images that were simultaneously flashing through his mind, filtered and slowed down as per Yuta’s air and yet it didn’t meant for them to be any less horrifying. Wreckage came in different shapes and extent but this one, undoubtedly, was a messy one. 

“Jaehyun? Hyun-ah?” Johnny’s voice echoed through his phone, “Are you still listening?”

“Huh? Ah, yeah…” With his eyebrows furrowed lightly, the magician tore his gaze away from Yuta and stared at the ground instead, nudging a pebble this way and that with the tip of his shoes. “Yuta just updated me, sorry. Hey, do me a favor and get Taeyong and Ten in charge of the other half of our mission. They should pick some of your most talented agents and especially get some good banishers involved. As for the others… Let them set way once the demon breached or they’ll be here before we got our data, alright?”

“Sure, okay, yes. But Jaehyun,” the team leader started, and said man released a querying hum, “Are you okay?”

If only Johnny didn’t always worry as much, maybe the older didn’t have to feel as guilty about some of the things he didn’t dare say out loud. He knew, he was aware there was a difference between keeping something with an intent of harm or not, and he didn’t want anyone but him to be burdened with these things, knowledge he himself had procured. But not telling Johnny everything as he was supposed to was still no easy task when considering his heart.

“Yeah, sorry, yeah. I’ve just been caught up in a thought,” he confessed, watched as the pebble rolled away a few inches out of his reach from when he had kicked it a bit too hard. “Tell me if you want to have dinner together later. Love you.” Not awaiting a reply, he ended the call and slipped his phone back into his back pocket. His eyes rose again, away from the pebble towards the building that was higher than them and yet, he knew exactly where it would take place. 

“You’ll get around. It gets easier with time.” Yuta’s words, regardless of their intent to soothe his nerves, seemed unsettling now. The suspicion that the demon might know more than he let on sat heavy in Jaehyun’s guts, got his feelings all messed up. Which didn’t mean he got a chance to ask, similarly as to how he had hung up on his own boyfriend just now, the blond only flashed him a peace sign before disappearing into a shimmery cloud of golden dust that was blown away by the wind.

“Great,” Jaehyun mumbled to himself, “Now I have to wait alone, asshole.”

★ﾟ.*･｡ﾟ

Waiting in a car, Jaehyun realized, really was more fun when they weren’t on a job and awaiting their target to arrive. Because then he could just move across the middle parting, straddle Johnny’s lap and opted for some kisses without having to embarrass or incriminate the leading agent right in front of his subordinates. It made for a boring waiting session, with Mark and Donghyuck bickering in the back about whatever had come up by then and after their sandwich debacle and the wonder that was whether Pepsi was better or Coca Cola. 

Jaehyun had already began to drown them out a while ago in favor of looking through his emails instead, answering to business inquiries here and there that Doyoung would have his head for if left unresponded to for another bout of days. Slowly, though, he considered the possibility of just hiring another CEO to lead the business in Soobin’s stead, relieving him of the burden that was yet another alternate personality. In the otherwise dark car, the light of his phone stood out, the blue spot that could easily be hidden away before the other car had yet arrived, and there wasn’t much time left before it did. 

“There’s a taxi coming up,” a voice informed them by radio, likely the dark figure perched on the roof, hidden by the shadows in a spell that tingled Jaehyun’s spine. “No sign of Lee yet.”

Making sure his movements weren’t too loud as he put his phone into the glovebox, Jaehyun did exactly that, for as much as a safe city Seoul was, the last thing he’d need now was for his phone to get stolen or get wrecked in a possible fight simply because he had naively tagged it along. From his changed posture, more than before when his mind had still been taken by his own work, he could catch a glimpse of Johnny’s tense fingers, bones standing out white from how tight they were curled, uncomfortable in their wake. Their sight hidden as Jaehyun wrapped his own fingers around them, rubbing soothing circles with his thumb.

It went without saying that the reason Johnny was as nervous was not what lay ahead of them but what already had passed, to know that there was a demon attacking another part of this town and they were not there must be vexing to a man used to standing at the frontlines. “They can deal on their own, John,” Jaehyun reminded the younger, squeezing his digits reassuringly, “That’s why you sent Ten and Taeyong. They can deal with this.”

“Did you know?” The younger asked, voice quiet and from the way Johnny’s eyes darted up, Jaehyun was certain the agent was checking for his trainees in the back. 

“Partly,” he started, hesitated for a moment as he mulled over how to explain what was so natural to him, “Yuta handles the future different to us. Seldomly he shows me what exactly will happen, more often he tells me what possibility is most likely to become reality. Before… He told me the worst outcome would have been had I gone instead of Jeno that night. I didn’t like the choice I had to make but sometimes we have no other choice - sometimes we have to choose the lesser evil…”

“So you’ve known for days what would happen?” The leather covering the steering wheel creaked as Johnny’s grip tightened, accompanied only by the static noise of the radio in between the updates transmitted to them. Currently that meant that the guy who had shown up apparently was the magician from the recorded tape. “How can you just bear knowing what will happen without being able to change it?”

Silently Jaehyun observed the younger, the furrowed eyebrows, eyes stubbornly adjusted to the front, the way brown hair glowed white with the light of headlights coming up from behind. “We can’t save everyone, Johnny. Some people don’t deserve to get saved either but you’re too young to understand this yet. I like that about you, you know? Your naivety. You should be retaining this for as long as you can, love.”

With one last soothing caress the older pulled back and settled back into his seat, keeping up the silence for as long as the agent would need to. He hadn’t lied when he had said those words, he liked that about the other, this naivety that was granted by the finity of mortal lives. Living for so long, watching people work their way into their own ruin, choosing paths that would so obviously be their own demise out of greed, desire, selfish interest - he had grown numb to the worth of their lives. Second chances were only worthwhile so long as they were used, granting such to someone who would make the same choices all over again seemed irresponsible only. It became tasteless with time, and he envied those who could keep up their belief because they considered their short lives as ones of many chances, a limited span during which everyone should be allowed to try their best. 

Updates of the progress of the spell were passed on by radio, the circle almost finished, the question of whether they should get moving already shut down only by Johnny telling them they need to catch the culprits red-handed. An easy enough task, a tad more patience that was broken by Jaehyun first, senses tingling, Aisha’s mark pulsing hot against his ribs, a heartbeat turned inside out. Before they got the information of the summoning starting, he was already stepping out of the car to make his way to the gates keeping them out of the abandoned factory.

From behind, he could hear Johnny’s clambering, the flustered state of Mark and Dongyuck’s subliminal excitement for finally taking actively part on a mission. It faded to the back of his mind easily, drowned out by the overbearing screeching of a demon that was a pitch too high to be perceived without magical backing. There were lights ahead of him, the flickering of sorcery that was put into action as the veil between two worlds was forcefully torn apart to let an alien creature in. 

One step away from becoming seen, an invisible force stopped him trapping him in place, sharp pain that surged up his feet like pinpricks. Johnny’s magic as he belatedly realized, seeing the faint orange glow from beneath the agent’s dress shirt that had him wrinkle his nose in distaste. Finally he could assign an ability to the cultrate nail tattoo. 

“Don’t go in there on your own, idiot,” the younger whispered, fingers warm around Jaehyun’s shoulder as the spell let up, “If Jeno ended up getting shot, what do you think they will do to you?”

Entertained, the demonbound’s lips curled up into a grin, “Wouldn’t you like to know?” At least if it was him stepping in first, they wouldn’t hurt him immediately, furthermore buying the agents time to get into action by themselves too. Only his lover’s gaze stopped him from doing just that, had him tilting his head aside as part of a silent question as to what they were supposed to do otherwise. He hadn’t actually been informed of their plan otherwise, most he knew was that one of them was assigned to taking pictures as part of the gathering of evidence they would still need to rely on afterwards.

A little clattering sound, almost entirely drowned out by the incantation of the sorcerer inside, called for his attention, and by the time Jaehyun had directed his gaze to Mark on the ground, crystal balls in his hand, he could perceive the faint glow on Johnny’s chest again. Right after, there were a bunch of crashing noises, more voices that didn’t manage to overtune the demonic screeching nor Aisha’s erratic reactions. Heated gaze directed at the leading agent’s face, the demonbound solely awaited the grip on his shoulder loosening to finally step away from his current spot.

Neither of the two men involved were of interest to him, merely a part of his peripheral vision as he headed for the shining upwards tunnel in the middle of the hall, light flickering like the reflection of the sun on watery surface, chiffon curtains swaying in the breeze. Trapped within it was a little black thing, no greater than a marine iguana and of similar stature too, its leathery skin scraping against the ground, tail curled in protectively. Black daub on the ground telling of the injury the demon must have sustained from flinging its tail at the barrier priorly.

“Hey! Hey, you! You’re that guy, aren’t you? Jeong Jaehyun, aren’t you?” An unknown voice called out, a frightening mixture of excitement and exhilaration, as if it was that unimaginable someone like Jaehyun was actually here and with the agency no less. “How about it? You could become part of us and then we’d be able to overthrow the world and make it ours and all you have to do-”

With a gargle the elder man stopped talking, the demonbound didn’t have to look to know just why when it was his own fault in first place. In a teetering battle of powers were Jaemin’s icicle pushing against Renjun’s pull of gravity, a precarious balance Jaehyun was too tempted to let slip, call it an accident on his side that this man had been murdered. Solely the reality in which this man withheld information they could make good use of and Johnny’s stern gaze directed at his back had him keep up his focus. 

Single snap of his fingers, the frozen crystal burst apart, little snowflakes that flowed to the ground if they so managed to reach it in first place. “Don’t forget your place, human,” he reminded absentmindedly, eyes still trained on the lizard’s sharp golden eyes. They were like Jeno’s during those days they had grown closer, were more confused than they were determined, telling of the young age of the demon that had been summoned. It might be because the magician had been too weak to call forth a stronger of its kind, or a misfortunate event of this one being closest to the breaching portal. “Because I didn’t despite living so much longer than you. I’m human, I don’t break war with my own kind and neither should you. You’re nothing but an immature child, behaving like this.”

Wistfully his fingers traced the barrier that reacted to his own magic so well, searing the tips of his fingers unto red streaks were decorating its surface, kept in place by its static force. The demon had stopped screeching, eyes wide and curious instead as it took in the human in front of him, tongue stuck out to take in the scent of demonic energy radiating from Jaehyun, all the more as the pulsing against his side stopped with one final beat. 

Aisha’s hand was warm against his own, black nails tapping the back of Yangyang’s mark thoughtfully, her wide eyes directed at the reptile demon as well. “ _ Dreamwalker _ ,” she stated and called out alike, calling for the creature’s attention, “They sound more innocent than they are. They move through shadows and darkness but they’re related to the incubic kind and in a similar manner can manipulate dreams. And I’m not talking about only those you have at night.”

“So every parent’s dream, huh?” Donghyuck joked, for the first time in a while startling enough to pull Jaehyun out of his train of thoughts to pay attention to the people surrounding him instead. The politician - Lee whatever - was apparently kept mum by a spell but neither he nor the sorcerer had been taken away just yet albeit Johnny’s tattoo was still signaling his magic to be flowing into the crystals nailing their shadows into place. Those same shadows the demon could be vanishing into if set free. 

The agent’s eyes had softened again, now that Jaehyun was no longer endangering their detained’s life, and turned questioning even. A gaze not unlike Mark’s except the younger seemed somewhat flustered by a pretty lady’s company. It would have been laughable under any other circumstance. 

“What do you want to do with him?” Johnny asked, stepping closer to crouch down in front of the barrier in a similar manner as Jaehyun had already done. His hands were not stopped by the barrier, could easily penetrate it except there was something else threatening him instead, sharp teeth of the little lizard snapping for hesitant fingers in defense.

“Depends,” the older said thoughtfully, eyes trained on the little ripples that the unscathed touch against the magical field caused, “Are you still considering to spend the rest of my life by my side?” Touching his healthy hand against Johnny’s lower arm, the spot below the colorful flowers, was a silent invitation, backed up by a burst of light as Aisha gave up on her humane form to return to her spot on his skin. 

“Are you for real?” Confused or maybe exasperated the younger looked at him, eyes flickering around, darting between some of the people surrounding them, not few of which are giving them curious looks. Nervously, Johnny dug his teeth into his lower lip at an angle that had the rosy part disappearing entirely. 

“You don’t have to,” Jaehyun reassured him, voice as soothing as he could manage when the idea made his heart beat faster within his chest. “I’ve also never tried it on another person but this would be a good opportunity to try it out, I guess?”

As if looking for reassurance, Johnny’s eyes scanned over the older’s face, carefully taking every little notion. “No… No, let’s- Let’s just try it, I guess.”

“ _ I guess _ ?” Letting his nail grow longer, sharper, Jaehyun traced his finger along the most prominent vein leading to the younger’s palm, standing out from the strain of working magic. His words were mocking intentionally for that moment during which Johnny could act offended ever so dramatically was a good distraction for him scratching the layers of skin open to release a stream red. Pained gasp that he ignored as he soundlessly shaped the words that were so deeply ingrained to his memory, he moved his hand up higher to grab the other by the elbow, where his sleeve was pushed up into a wrinkled mess, and pushed it forth with force. 

There was no hindrance as Johnny’s hand penetrated the barrier again, blood staining the field and the little ripples spread it around a tad. Be it confusion or Aisha’s earlier appearance, this time around the demon didn’t react aggressively, could as well be the scent of blood that was so inviting. It didn’t matter much for the second the lizard’s tongue touched the wound Jaehyun had finished his incantation. and as if grabbed by the appendage, the demon was jerked forward, dissolving into a black cloud that was swallowed up by the wound. Black stained the edges of the wound, stitched them together and bled into lines that formed a distinct design against honeyed skin.

As disappointingly simple as the sight could be, Jaehyun knew not to underestimate the effect the spell had on its receiver. At the same time as the demon disappeared, the barrier let up, nothing more within to be trapped, and the oldest was quick to move and wrap his arms around Johnny’s frame, just in time for seeing the younger collapse. Behind him, he could distantly perceive that politician’s muffled screams of outrage, watching all his dreams and aspirations spent on some government agent instead, and some of the subordinate agents didn’t seem too happy either. It was a chaotic situation and yet, with someone way more important to watch over, Jaehyun let it wash over him, heeding control to whoever would be in charge in Johnny’s stead. 

★ﾟ.*･｡ﾟ

Out of all his abilities, Doyoung’s might still be the oddest one to become familiar with. A few decades were already a short time, there still was something vastly unsettling about knowing his body was at home, resting on the couch, while his mind was attendant in the courtroom, paying attention to a trial that ever so strongly concerned him but was not one he could make a statement in. His being was a tale, a distant character in horror stories for children told at night, either a hero or villain, it always diverged. How could they possibly explain his entity to a judge within such short time without sounding absolutely macabre? Without it, also, it would be hard to explain, lest when he was sat across the same politician who so overzealously liked to yell at him. 

He hadn’t dared show up in his real appearance, had at least made an effort to cover up his tattoos and dye his hair, parts of his face hidden by the thick-rimmed glasses he wore. Too much of his shape shifting and he would have had to fear for the stability of his spell, two higher demons at once were too much for him to handle when half his mind was still stuck with Johnny and his well being. While not exactly dangerous, the bond was mostly vexing, called for a lot of resources and energy, and with how dazed the younger still was, he hadn’t dared staying the whole day out.

But after one day of staying around, of hearing the agents give their reports and that old guy telling tales he was too familiar with, the stories of the sorcerer who had combined his own magic with the demonic kind, it had been more than enough for him. Not only that, he could understand why the agency had advised the court to keep mum about the trial, fanatic ideas like these ever too often attracted too much attention. Albeit what they told the public were easy excuses, matters of, “By analyzing the spells used, illegal methods might be revealed,” or, “After already suffering from a bruised image, we no longer want to harm Mister Lee’s reputation,” and what other nonsense they could come up with for a possible cover.

Instead, Jaehyun had taken to reading the updates the team was giving him or from the news, spending his days relaxing with Johnny or, as currently, in his office room right next to Doyoung who was working through the same data as he was. Work had piled up and when on normal days it was hard for one person to accomplish, it seemed almost impossible now. Doyoung was like a cheat code during those times, acting more refined in regards to business than the best taught student in that subject could be. 

“You need to sign this,” the demon advised, handing over a set of sheets - a contract - that would be enveloped and picked up by an intern to be taken to the company in the evening. Just about at the same time, there was the sound of rustling fabric coming from the direction of the doorway. Johnny, as turned out, as Jaehyun looked up, gentle smile blooming on his own lips at the sight of his dazzling lover.

“Hey,” he mumbled, looking up from the papers he was blindly signing, his hand put into its right place by Doyoung manually so he’d start right on line. “Did you just wake up?” Signing again and again, his eyes remained on the younger all throughout, leaning against the doorframe so easily, somehow Johnny also managed to make the whole  _ sweats and boyfriend shirt _ outfit look attractive too. 

“Yeah,” the agent smiled, hand absentmindedly rubbing along the black lines on his lower arm, exactly where Jaehyun had scratched the skin open priorly. Beneath the white short sleeves more black ink peeked out, framing the little floral burst of color. “I think I’m getting hungry again, though…”

With a low hum and a quick glance at Doyoung to ask for approval, Jaehyun got out from his seat and walked over to Johnny, greeting the younger with a quick kiss. “It’s a good sign,” he smiled, “That you’re hungry, I mean.” In the passing, he grabbed the younger’s hand to pull him along on his way to the kitchen where, already earlier, he had prepared a meal not only for his boyfriend but also the happy-to-complain demon currently doing his paperwork.

“What if I weren’t?” The agent asked, tagging along and getting himself a fix of coffee whilst Jaehyun turned the stove on to warm the food, shrugging his shoulders in response.

“Nothing, actually. You getting hungry simply means the demon is more willing to stay bound to you. The more of their characteristics you sense, the better your connection will be.” Hunger was just one of these traits, representing the greed, the never sated yearn for more that every demon felt. Swiftly he turned around, stealing Johnny’s mug to take a quick sip before snorting, “Now imagine someone like those stinky asses had gotten their hands onto this spell. The hunger they would feel wouldn’t be for food then.”

Lightly Johnny raised his eyebrows, retrieving his cup from greedy hands again. “Talking of them - how’s the trial going?”

Jaehyun grimaced, face distorting this way and that, at the mention of the trial. He had popped in earlier for a moment, had listened to yet another bout of discussions and while one might think the session was to be concluded quickly, it was drawn out by having to split the appointments up, one hour this day, another the next. It sure complicated matters further.

“Well for us since we got more evidence on our side but that geezer didn’t spill a lot of beans yet. With how the agents, the police, and the journalists are working hard to get more information, there’s always more to inspect too.” He sighed, leaning against the counter with his arms crossed in front of his chest, lower lip pushing out thoughtfully. “I think the prosecutor is still hoping for a deal and therefore dragging it out like that…”

“Doesn’t sound too positive then?” Johnny asked, getting out a bowl and spoon for his soup already steaming in the pot. Without much bravado, the bowl was filled, the younger was walking away, settling on the couch rather than the table, blanket on his lap and looking perfectly at home. The kind of sight that so easily warmed Jaehyun’s heart.

With a skip in his step he got closer, plopping down on the couch with enough distance to be certain he wouldn’t jostle his lover and spill that soup on his cushions. “This case is bulletproof. That hot lawyer is also blaming at least one murder case on that man so if he wants to reduce his sentence-” Jaehyun shrugged again, falling sideways into the backrest and simultaneously he grabbed a pillow to cuddle against his chest. “What about you? Your sick leave is going to end with the weekend and I’m not so sure your boss is fond of me now that I’ve kept you away from work the second time this year.”

Around his spoon, Johnny snorted. “You brought upon them a whole corrupt politicians scandal to resolve. They sure will love you. Actually” - interrupted by another bite, the agent seemed to hesitate for merely a second - “I already filed a request for you to join our team officially. Like, you can’t legally join us but you could be like an external consultant or something… And they like you better if they can control you so…”

Softly, Jaehyun smiled at his boyfriend, “I’d like that. A lot.” Surprisingly, the work with the team had brought him joy. It wasn’t quite as exciting as one might think, there wasn’t gun shootings scheduled daily or the likes, but it had purpose. It was for a greater good than accumulating money so it brought him joy, the kind he would happily pursue for longer. 

“If this is the day for suggestions,” Jaehyun started after a short while of just letting Johnny eat, chicken heart soup not the most satisfying but definitely an easy meal for in between, “What do you think of moving in with me?”

Already now Johnny was spending so much time at his place, just to think of the almost two weeks since the newly forged demon bond, and there surely would only be more time they’re spending together now that both their lifetimes were no longer finite. Until they got sick of each other and beyond, they were inadvertently connected to each other, they had to rely on each other’s support, trust and understanding. Not just that, if that time with Jaerin were included, they would be nearing their one year anniversary sooner than not, closer and closer, it was one cycle around the sun that would precedent a thousand and more yet to come.

The younger seemed to need to ponder it a bit longer, eyes wide and lips stuck around his spoon, blinking hastily. Around the metal, Johnny stuttered, “I only just renewed my rent contract.”

“Is that a ‘no’?” Jaehyun asked, tilting his head aside in question, tension in his shoulders and fingers tight around the pillow he cuddled.

Lowly, Johnny laughed, shaking his head, “It’s me saying you’ll need to sugar me because I’ll be broke if I have to treat you to your expensive ass restaurants.” Just like that, words spoken, bowl put aside, Johnny leaned in for a tender kiss, sealing their deal. 

★ﾟ.*･｡ﾟ

His body felt too sensitive as he woke up, hyper-aware of the hand tracing between the ridges of his abs, elbow heavy on his waist. The heat of another person so close to his own body seemed almost suffocating and yet it entirely paled next to the warmth that was coursing through his own body, that had him bury himself further into the blankets, turning onto his stomach. Irresponsibly so, as if it would actually aid battle the heat if he curled himself up further, locked the heat in. His mind was too muddled from sleep to find the assumption faulty, all the less so as he felt fingers trace the length of his spine, caressing along Lucas’ lines until the snake, too, was sensitized enough to become tangible to its owner, the sensation of cool scales slithering along his skin.

An uncharacteristic mewl escaped him, hips grinding against the sheets involuntarily as he bent his back upwards, trying to feel more. It also meant becoming uncomfortably aware of how hard he was despite the early time, dick almost aching despite the lack of stimulation that had him crumbling back down in an instant, hard-on trapped between the mattress and his stomach, impossible to be ignored. Less so when those warm fingers teased along his skin still, made sure his attention was rapt on these touches. 

“Kun… If you’re making fun of me right now…” Jaehyun grumbled lowly, his muscles tensing and relaxing in tow as they were caressed, as if that same digit was electrically charged, shocking his flesh into attention only to let loose whenever the contact to that particular part let up. It wouldn’t be the first time for one of his demons to tease him like this, much as it might seem wondrous to sleep with those same creatures, he didn’t have it in him to blame an incubus for looking to get fed whenever they were led too far astray proper civilization. Once a week, no longer would a weaker demon be able to hold out. About that same time as must have passed since he had last set Kun free, too, it wouldn’t come as surprise to him were his demon acting up now. 

“How cruel,” a voice, most definitely not belonging to the incubus, retorted, tender and light like the fingers dancing along his skin, followed by lips pressing warmly against his shoulder, “A few days only and you’re foregoing me in favor of your demons, Hyun-ah?”

Lazily Jaehyun smiled into his pillow, curled his arms beneath the cushion for a more comfortable rest as he turned his head to the side, taking in his lover’s form through his blurry sight. “A few days feel quite long without you by my side,” he whispered, eyes falling close again to indulge the snug warmth of his bed, ignorant of the sensations was going through for another moment as he mumbled, “I thought you’re coming back only tonight… For why the change?”

“Are you not happy to see me?” Johnny asked, voice teasing, fingers mischievous, dipping lower and lower until they caressed along the older’s ass. “Because I am. Especially like this.”

“Johnny…” Jaehyun protested weakly, fingers curling into the sheets as he felt the light pressure against his hole, back arching at the sensation and the way his dick dragged against the sheets for sure didn’t help his situation right then. “You’re evading my question…”

Lowly, the younger hummed, finger pushing with intent but too little force to slide inside. “I missed you… So I took an earlier flight home and then… It’s not normal for a demonmark to get warmer, right?” The question was innocent, so unlike what Johnny was up to, pulling his hand away barely long enough to retrieve the lube from the nightstand, and sooner than Jaehyun could prepare himself a slick finger was pressed to his entrance again. “It made sense when I was in the shower and saw flickers of you getting fucked, baby. Aren’t you a bit too naughty already?”

A soft moan was stifled by his pillow as Jaehyun pushed his face into it again, back arching at the tender touch to his body. Whatever this dream he himself couldn’t remember had been, it might as well have been a prank by Kun indeed, sensing his cousin demon return home, the effects of it were still evident by how easily Johnny’s finger moved inside him. Body so pliant even his nervous boyfriend didn’t hesitate much to push a second digit inside, spreading them apart, brushing them against his walls, driving Jaehyun positively insane. 

Effects of sleep still made him lazy to react, something Johnny - of all people! - must be aware of, once too often under the excuse of an especially tiring work day Jaerin had been allowed to sleep in, waking up to Johnny’s fingers teasing unblemished skin. Morning sex then had always been soothing, relaxing and slow, a tender wake-up call. Like slowly getting to one’s senses, waking until sleep was fading away, a natural process rather than forceful. Jaehyun knew he would get the same treatment this night again, making him feel anticipatory for that gooey warmth he knew would come with it, strings of glue stretched between fingers. It wouldn’t snap, wouldn’t give him whiplash, would slowly get torn, one by one, until the two sides were disconnected and his whole self ready to brave another tiring day. 

“Shut up,” the older mumbled into the pillow, getting his legs into a more comfortable position, angling one to the side for easier access to his ass. From the corner of his eyes he kept his side on Johnny, beautifully splayed out next to him, upper body supported on his lower arm, muscles tense, contrasting the shifting flexes of the other as his hand kept moving around. There was a faint sheen of wet down the younger’s nape, remains of water cloying the shorter hair above, telling of the shower he had taken until a short while ago, befitting the earthy scent of forest that was Johnny’s prefered shower gel.

All too easily Jaehyun would be able to blame his upon Kun, on having a sadistic incubus etched into his skin, but he couldn’t, not this time around. Because it had been his choice to wait for his boyfriend time and time again, to not rush the man who had considered himself straight until some weeks ago. This morning, too, would only be the second time for them to actually have sex, to have more than that rushed handjob one night, Jaehyun didn’t even get to blow Johnny, against his best interest, because Johnny got a call from work. Which was also the reason Jaehyun’s very plans to feed Kun had been cut short, abandoned before they had begun.

And now here they were, Johnny right next to him again, in all his naked glory and warm solace, making him feel safe in a way he hadn’t actually ever. Love was short-lived when compared to his longevity, it was limited, and when there were so many demons inked to his skin and meant to protect him, it was hard to entrust his safety, put his all into someone else’s hands. He hadn’t dared do the same before, hadn’t trusted someone the way he trusted Johnny. It had been hard to begin with, it had only worsened after meeting the king in old days. Combine all of it and it was too obvious why Johnny meant so much for him, allowing him to feel these many things, experience emotions he hadn’t in a long, long time. Or ever.

Drowning in his feelings for Johnny was as easy as falling into the slowly rolling waves of pleasure, not an all consuming fire to burn his body inside out, it was a languid flow, a tranquil lull. Jaehyun couldn’t help relaxing despite the teasing, just indulge his boyfriend leisurely moving his hands, spreading his fingers, make sure that Jaehyun’s body was pliant and loose for him. Just like that, it deserved to be called a perfect morning to the older, to look at Johnny next to him, to feel that bit of heat, cozy warmth, like curling up in front of a fireplace during a dreary winter’s night.

Be it for wanting to be a tease or not going to harsh, Johnny avoided his sweet spot, didn’t rub his prostate to get him all riled up and rush through times of intimacy despite undoubtedly being up for longer than Jaehyun had been. It made Johnny so very perfect to his eyes, the addition to his life he hadn’t known to need a mere half a year ago, an addition he was happy to keep holding on to for a long time yet to come. “I love you,” he whispered for that same reason, smiling softly as he closed his eyes again, not dozing off but diving into this same lazy sensation that came with sleepiness.

Silently and without further ado, his words were rewarded by a third finger, sliding in without restraint, slick against his walls as Johnny pushed more lube inside. Aside from those little sounds, besides their heavier breathing, the bedroom was silent. So high up, there was no sound of rushing cars, were no chirping birds to wake them up. Like a secret sanctuary, this room was entirely closed off with the double doors closed, locking out the remains of this world. A little bubble just for them, for their feelings and comfort, not to be burst. 

“Are you saying this because I’m greeting you with sex?” Johnny asked eventually, voice already hoarse, strained just from the sight of the older so pliant in the sheets, pale skin looking royal and the lines of hard muscles easily seen, yet Jaehyun was butter in his hands, so soft and amiable. 

Ready to answer in protest, the older only forewent doing so for his boyfriend had freed his fingers again, wiping them clean in the sheets before wrapping that same arm around his waist. Where honey glazed skin met Aisha’s mark, Jaehyun’s skin tingled, belatedly realizing his own demon had betrayed him, hadn’t warned him of his lover coming home because he was no longer a threat. He still would have prefered to be awake, to be allowed to welcome Johnny home with a kiss to the lips and coffee in his hands, would have complained if not for this situation being so utterly wonderful too. 

With ease that was not supported by Jaehyun in the least the younger grabbed him and rolled him to his side, all the older did was take his pillow along, hug it to his front as he had done these nights Johnny had been gone, when no one had been around to keep him warm. Jeno had refused to come out after the first night, not willing to be cuddled all night by his owner rather than partner again, leaving the human to his own demise. As it was now felt more natural, the taller warm against his back, sheets tangled around their calves and feet, arm tight around his waist. Jaehyun didn’t protest as he was moved around, one leg pushed up a bit, he pulled it up to his pillow instead. 

Seconds only passed unto he could feel Johnny’s hard-on slide between his cheeks, parts dry and parts wet, excessive lube not enough to make the teasing thrusts slick. It didn’t matter, it didn’t last long, if only Jaehyun knew by the younger pulling back a bit, cockhead nudging against his entrance and sliding in with ease. A mellow moan slipped his lips, form curling more around his pillow in response to slowly getting spread open, being filled with his lover’s most physical manifestation of love. Moments of sweet aching as his body grew accustomed to the sensation, to the warmth low in his guts, warming him inside out, and moments of simply staying like this, Johnny’s hips flush against his, sheathed entirely, fitting so snug. 

As much as their world was magical, moments like these were all the more, this indescribable feeling of being connected, strings of their life tied together, entwined. On a deeper level than anything else, sex filled with love was unique, explained an every fairy tale’s one true kiss, a kiss of magic so pure, so innocent and raw, it could break any curse. It was not the same for their reality, there was no unbeatable spell, no eternal curse, but there was love. The love for one another, more intense than anything else ever could be, more outstanding and more unique. It left Jaehyun breathless with a single thrust.

His fingers curled around his pillow tighter, looking for support he should not need when none of them moved, allowed this emotion to wash over them like a sea wave kissing sand, a tender and steady thrum, pulsing through his veins. “John…” Jaehyun whispered, tilting his head to the side so he could look at his boyfriend over his shoulder, sight bleary not from sleep but pleasure. Dots of read that showed him Kun was feeding, a one-way passage of magic, no pull nor interference, this was only about them. 

One of Johnny’s arms wrapped around his waist, other used to push his weight up, to lean in to engage the older in a gentle kiss, their first of this day when their bodies got close before their lips got a chance. Befitting the easy pace of their kiss, the taller started moving, little circling of his hips, not looking for depth or intensity but the mellow sweetness of making love, warmth that soaked through them, warming like a snake in the sun, until it was cozy and snug. 

It didn’t take long their kiss broke again, angle uncomfortable for Jaehyun more than he’d like to admit, and each of Johnny’s so well placed thrusts had him yearn to curl up, to moan into his pillow because it felt so good. There was a different build compared to going at it like bunnies in a haze, it wasn’t strong and intense, no promise of a mind-blowing orgasm nor muscles crumbling from the strain, wasn’t about breaking each other down until their mind was but filled with the essence of one another. Go the other way, don’t look at the thorns covering a stem when the rose on top was so much more beautiful, enjoy the slow bloom of petals, unfolding and spreading bit by bit and day by day. Sometimes sex was supposed to be like this, a careful process, a bit of pull and prod, unto reaching the result once desired.

There was a saying among humans about youth being the time to experiment, an eagerness lessened by age when the urge to settle kicked in. A useless concept when age had no longer any substance, when passion and lust could be altered by a demon. It seemed to hit only at times like these, when the realization caught up to Jaehyun that it was no longer only about him and his fellow creatures, that his was no longer a life for one, that the concept of time very well still mattered to Johnny and would continue as such for another few decades. For Johnny was on the verge of that humanly line, caught in a lapse of considering between stability and thrill, the craving for adventure shrinking, emphasized only by that caring nature. 

It hit Jaehyun now because he could feel it, this dominating wish of caring and treating, had felt it clash with his own reality that day in the city, when electricity was sparked not only between them alone. Fingers that caressed his front, traced his abdomen and up to his chest, making him sigh as they circled one of his nipples, skin so sensitive to touch, to Johnny’s touch. Breathy moans left his lips thanks to the additional teasing, Jaehyun only became aware of how he had tightened around Johnny’s erection as he felt it more prominently, body tense from what was a perfect onslaught of that lazy haze of pleasure, arousal that coiled in a sleazy whirl low in his guts, right where he could feel his lover so well. 

“Touch yourself,” the younger’s rough voice demanded in a whisper, fingers that left his chest to grab his wrist, had Jaehyun unfurl his hold on his cuddle pillow to guide it down, until the demonbound was touching his own dick. Skin too hot to touch, more sensitive than it should, it made the older’s whole body shudder at the contact alone. Johnny didn’t let up regardless, had Jaehyun curl his fingers around his erection, guiding the up and down stroke for a bit despite every bit of contact leaving the older’s dick twitching in need. 

One final teasing was added, were Johnny’s fingers letting go of his wrist to travel lower still, between his legs and further back, until one mischievous digit was pressing into his perineum, rubbing into the skin, and driving Jaehyun over the edge faster than he’d thought. Pleasure washed over him like stepping into the shower, feeling tension washed away, it left his body blissfully numb as wet covered his fingers and soiled the sheets. 

He had gone silent as he came, air stuck deep in his lungs to only be released with a startled whimper as Johnny started moving anew, still hard and having not yet come, driving his body to the brink of sensitivity. Not painful, his body was too pliant to feel sore, sex to tender to leave him aching so raw, Jaehyun was simply aware of every little thing, every little touch that had his body twitching further. What didn’t take long felt like eternity, this short time between his own orgasm and Johnny filling him up, leaving his mark deep within the older’s body where only a demon could now access to it, feed on it, leave its owner to aware of such primitive branding from the searing sensation such act left behind. 

Jaehyun still felt too pliant, bone void of all bones, as they both came down their highs, Johnny’s arm tight around his waist, chest warm against his back, lips tender where they met his nape. Staying close after an act only seemed right, bask in the comfort each the other had to offer, calm down and clear the haze any climax would have left behind. Against better belief, of what so many liked to neglect, there was no exhaustion imminent, was not either of them being out of their mind and robbed of their drive. Fuzzy energy, body so gently being woken up, the many hormones released, had Jaehyun smiling into his pillow as he brought it up to his face, inhaling the faint perfume of detergent still prevalent.

Eventually, when his breathing had calmed and mind ordered, Jaehyun turned his head to look around once again, expression softening as he looked at his lover. “Good morning to you too, Johnny. Welcome back home.” Home. Because this now was indeed a place for the two of them, a sanctuary to return to every night again. 

★ﾟ.*･｡ﾟ

There was an almost hilarious kind of difference between the tranquility of the Michelin ranked restaurant they had just been to and the booming bass of Sicheng’s club blocked off from the outside if only thanks to the aid of magic. Expensive meat and fancy wine replaced by Jungwoo’s stern expression once they had managed to make their way inside and to the bar, pretty face distorted by protest as the younger glared at Jaehyun despite the latter’s best puppy eyes. 

“You know that hounds aren’t welcomed in here, Jae,” the barkeeper reprimanded, elbows placed on top of the counter to lean forward, disregarding entirely the squad of four that was waiting behind the demonbound. Ten who seemed unbothered whilst Taeyong and Mark looked some odd stage between intimidated and fascinated while Hyuck was obviously awed. This club was worlds apart to the one they were used to, grimy floors replaced by sparkling marble tiles, music perfectly cut off by the spells worked into them, and Jungwoo looking far more put together than the stressed lady manning the counter. “You’ll make guests uncomfortable.”

“Come on, Woo,” Jaehyun mumbled with an exaggerated pout, leaning forward over the counter mimicking Jungwoo’s posture as he raised his arm already glowing a faint red, “I’ll make sure it will be worth it for you, too.”

“You’re a menace,” Jungwoo retorted but went back to work to prepare all those drinks the older had originally attempted to order.

The demonbound let out a purred “Love you too, Woo,” and would have added a flying kiss if not for the hand deliberately squeezing at his waist, a careful reminder of who he was supposed to be with that Jaehyun quickly acted upon. Some of his weight was put against Johnny’s sturdier frame, fingers reaching for their matching set to play around a bit, inspecting the mess of distorted black lines that Jisung’s tattoo was. One seemingly endless lines that moved in curls and swirls, laces and knots that could be interpreted many ways, looking like a face from this angle and a heart from that, as unsteady and open for interpretation as were actual dreams. It astonished him how quick Johnny had been at communicating with the  _ dreamwalker _ and establish some sort of bond that had taken months if not years for Jaehyun to forge in the beginning.

Times that were too long past for him to feel jealous now, instead he found it admirable, it told tales of Johnny’s abilities and strengths, not only the magical but also the emotional, to get close to Jisung within a few weeks only. If what his boyfriend had said was true, already had the younger visited his dreams, only the part with letting the demon materialize again was yet to strenuous, leaving the appearance of their household’s newest addition a mystery. At least the one that wasn’t a slinky little lizard.

Within an instant and at the prospect of more drinks at Jaehyun’s expense, did the remains of their group settle around the table the two oldest members had moved to, a perfect circle as they raised their glasses for a cheers. As he had done already during dinner, Ten was the first to speak up, feline smile on his lips, like a cat planning mischief, as he declared, “A bright welcome to our new but not so new team member. So that we’ll never have to catch them fucking in the office!”

“Ten!” Johnny hissed between his teeth, eyes wide and an endearing flush tinting his neck, yet there was no malice in his tone, already too used to the foreigner’s cheeky ways.

With a little nudge of his elbow, Jaehyun hit his boyfriend’s sides and smiled, “On our first successful mission.” Their glasses clinked, and for another moment he just watched all the younger men take a sip from their drinks, a task he mimicked before he added, “And… thanks for trusting me. I mean, you didn’t have to but-”

“Please,” Donghyuck interrupted with a huff, glass never straying far from his cheeks albeit, after the wine priorly and now having a stronger drink, there was already a little drawl to his words, “Anyone who keeps up with Johnny’s dick and Johnny being a dick is a good- Ow!”

Be it either Mark or Taeyong, one of them had pinched the youngest, or kicked or punched, or whatever could be done unobtrusively, he shut up. Jaehyun only laughed at that and emptied his own drink, already considering to just shush the others away when a movement from the bar caught his attention. There, Jungwoo was waving at him, pointing to the back of the club and, as if he had read his mind, Johnny gave him an encouraging smile. Shortly the demonbound imitated it, grinning at his new friends before he headed there. 

Behind the curtains but not in the backroom, standing in the hallway in lieu, Sicheng greeted him, exasperated frown on his features. “I don’t like hounds,” the owner pointed out, dark eyes assessing his guest carefully.

“I’ll pay extra,” Jaehyun offered and immediately he could see the smaller one’s eyes spark with dark intent. “It’s just for tonight, too. I can’t always go to their club, Sicheng, drinks there are far below yours.” His tone was almost whiny, his appreciation for finer alcohol only grown with age unless he was all that eager to get dead drunk of cheap soju alone at home. Which he currently most definitely need to do. “And we’re off duty, cut me some slack!”

The Chinese wrinkled his nose in faked disgust - or at least Jaehyun hoped it was faux. “You’re one of them now?” Despite the low light, ever so obviously his eyes darted to the crystal cuff no longer glowing in faint hues, only taking unnecessary place on the tattooed arm from where its purpose had long since stopped being to trace down the agency’s immortal hound’s every step. Now it seemed more like an ironic reminder of such position, a proof of connection to the team leader until said immortal had enough guts to propose something better. 

“Only an honorary member,” Jaehyun corrected, a soft smile on his lips as he followed such gaze, looked at the crystal fixed with a metal clasp he had no keys for. If he had been any smarter, he would have expected to be kicked out of the hidden compartment, pretty much got his ass kicked out of the door, only to be faced with the younger’s nevertheless affectionate shake off the head.

“You better pay thrice as much.” Such were the last words he heard from the man closest to being a friend before the very door was slammed shut into his face. It was amusing, if only because it was so very much like Sicheng to be crude solely to hide his soft spots. Quite as much it was understandable, no one who could easily snoop out even politicians was willing to meet the encounter of men who could arrest him for such. At the same time, it was telling enough he was not immediately kicked out, did not receive any such rejection from his closest affiliate after all these years of being in contact already. 

Jaehyun didn’t hold it against the younger, most of their relationship actually was built around money, the very reason he did not protest such demand as he made his way back to the bar, empty of his companions who had already dispersed into all kinds of directions within the club. For a change the counter was surprisingly empty, not as occupied as it usually might be at such time, which also meant he found a slot for himself easily, closer to the wall in which he could wait until one of either the two barkeepers found time to entertain him in lieu of his new colleagues. Indeed, it did not take long was Jungwoo stood in front of him again, mirthful expression interlaced with fatigue borne from tending so many people at once, and even like this their conversation could only be a short one. 

“You’re happy, right?” The so much younger male asked, hands swiftly moving around, fixing another drink to place in front of his guest to gulp down, fingers already held out for one of Jaehyun’s many cards.

“Charge it four times the normal price,” the guest offered, handing over the slim black plastic, “And put all their orders on my name too.”

“Would have anyways,” the magician replied with ease, fingers tapping around on the tablet that had their orders stored, charging the tab on the card without yet sending it off. “You’re richer than should be allowed. I’m not going to accept somebody else treating you.”

“You’d be surprised,” Jaehyun hummed, at least Jungwoo would be if he knew, that Jaehyun had more than his natural male shape on the ready, that Johnny was too much of a gentleman to even accept going Dutch. Belatedly, as he could already curl his fingers around his glass and take a sip, he answered, “I am, by the way.” He was.

He was happy with the life he now lead, to slowly come forth, stop hiding like a turtle in its shell, was thankful he had met someone like Johnny to slowly ease him out of it. More than earning and storing money, than building one company after another, he was satisfied with having found a job that seemed to serve a purpose, was glad he was able to do so many things with so much ease. Naturally, it was different to the way he had lived less than a year ago, when the most contact he had had had been with Sicheng in that cozy room, or Jungwoo and Taeil at the bar. Now there were more people surrounding him, not only to work with, he could also talk to them - talk with them. Within less time than he had anticipated, and maybe thanks to more effort Johnny had put than Jaehyun could have observed, he had been promoted from an enemy of the state to the aid of law.

It should not surprise him, not when he had turned from a hero to a villain within a single night, and yet it did, the fact that within such short time so much around him had changed. He had changed, else he would have never worked his spell on another person, would have never cursed someone else with an existence like his. At times he wondered whether it was just that, a curse, or actually more, a blessing at best. A question he could no answer on his own, his view too biased, persona too subjective. 

“You look brighter,” Jungwoo stated unprompted, placing another drink when Jaehyun hadn’t even finished his current one, “Warmer. You should stay that way. I’m growing tired of your dull face. But don’t forget to send Kun over later.” And just like that, the barkeeper was gone, swaying his hips in a way that had the incubus’ tattoo heating up for a moment, a demon’s desire, ever so unrelenting.

Exactly why the younger had left, Jaehyun realized only when lips, warm and soft and slick, pressed into his nape, just above the head of Lucas’ snake skull, a warm arm around his waist to keep him close. On instinct, his head dropped back, into Johnny’s broader shoulder, a welcome place to rest, surrounded by that homey scent. So little time and yet he was certain it could never be enough, not with this man by his side. 

It was hours past midnight did Jaehyun manage to haul a more than tipsy Johnny into their apartment. Actually, tipsy was a vast understatement for his boyfriend who had drunk more than he should and that despite not having the best tolerance in first place. It had become better, now that there was a demon backing him up, and yet it was a measly amount for a man of such stature, lesser even than Ten’s and the smaller agent was by no means a nice drinking companion, with no regards to anyone’s limits, one drink after another had been ordered, up to the point Taeyong had almost passed out and Mark and Donghyuck had vanished wherever. Jaehyun didn’t care so long as they replied to his messages come the next day. 

In fact, there were only so many people he could care for, when already he had a six feet plus heavyweight to take care of while all the same time conjuring a demon from his arm, a demon who had gone home not only with their barkeeper of the night but also the hound Jungwoo had insisted to dislike. The many magical effects of drinks, money, and the sense of rhythm needed to join the dancefloor. 

“Hyunnie,” Johnny breathed hotly into his ear, breath smelling of alcohol so close to his face it was impossible for Jaehyun to ignore, no matter how good the whiskey, it never smelled as good when so much time had passed, the artificial smoke within the club mixed into it. It meant the older did not hesitate in heaving the agent into the bathroom, sat upon the counter, a comfortable height for Jaehyun to swiftly start working open those buttons. 

Bit by bit, more honeyed skin and black lines were revealed, skin so inviting to kiss and touch, warm beneath his fingers were he not to hold back. Even if Johnny was his own boyfriend, beloved by day, lover by night, drunk sex was long not as satisfying as some might assume, it was less fun - clumsy and rushed and an entirely messed up pace. Clouded mind, not thinking straight, it only seemed to affect such situation more, and by no means was Jaehyun willing to take advantage of such. More than that, it felt wrong, after such mellow night of celebration, of receiving approval by those few friends he had, he didn’t want to ruin it with awkward sex.

Much to his reassurance, the younger seemed to be attuned not much different to him, drowsy from alcohol and dancing as much, for Ten was as greedy about dancing as he was about drinking, relentless, and with seemingly demonic endurance caged to such frail looking body. For sure, were he to ask his incubus about such energy the next day, he would receive an answer not too different to this, to find agreement of the younger being such long lasting lover for the night. But as entertaining as it was to hear such stories from Kun, he was not as certain he would enjoy hearing the same about his own colleague at work.

Without thinking about it too much, already he had reached the bottom of the row of buttons, brushed the fabric off Johnny’s shoulder only to hand his boyfriend the according toothbrush, already prepared for such task while he got to work on those bothersome slacks. Above him, he could see the younger suggestively wiggle his eyebrows, something he rewarded with a quick slap to a toned thigh only.

“Hyun-ah,” Johnny tried again, words muffled around his toothbrush and white foam, “Why aren’t you drunk? This ain’t fair.”

This time, it was on Jaehyun to give the younger a heated stare, followed by an innocent smile as he kicked the clothes into a corner of the room, towards all the other dirty cloth. “Experience, Johnny.” Lots of years of experience, mostly, and the aid of some of his demons supporting his alcohol consumption, helping him work it off. “You want to take a shower now or in the morning?”

“Morn’n’,” the agent muttered, washing his face and mouth real quick, “Can shower with you then.”

“Very romantic,” Jaehyun teased, almost bursting into laughter by the time Johnny attempted walking on his own, tripping over air in his attempt to get to bed. Somehow that was achieved without breaking his face on the floor, looking rather healthy and well by the time the older had managed to catch up, crawling beneath the blanket and right into his boyfriend’s arms when his eyes fell upon the cuff on his wrist. 

Despite Johnny’s arms so readily welcoming him, the demonbound pulled back, scrambled over to his nightstand to reach inside, pull out a little velvet sachet left dangling in front of the younger’s face. “It’s for you,” he explained, watching how calloused hands reached for it to gauge its weight and pull it open right then, “Well, us. Because I know you can’t really wear jewelry to work but it’s too early for a ring so… ankles are usually a safe spot, right?” His flustered speech finished just in time for two silver chains to be revealed, daint, just sturdy enough not to break with a simple pull, even when it was enhanced by magic at that very time.

“Anklets?” Johnny asked, a hint of mockery in his tone that drove the heat up the older’s neck, painted his ears a bright red as he considered just taking it back, wipe his boyfriend’s memory clear and get rid of all evidence before it was found again. Before he could do all that, the agent’s face was split in half by a bright smile, amused but not in disdain. “Is that some historical kink of yours, Hyun-ah?”

At the same time as he asked, the younger sat up, knee pulled to his chest and to get to his foot and fix the silver chain around it. For a second, Johnny wiggled his foot around, testing for its tightness, and next thing Jaehyun knew he was lying on his back, foot perched on top of Johnny’s knee to mimic the same action upon his own. He had yet to get used to the sensation, to his other foot to be decorated to, except not with a demon brand this time around, when he felt a warm weight on top of his own, soft lips against his. 

Inevitably, it made him smile, such tender testimony of affection, the gentleness with which he was handled by his boyfriend regardless of being drunk, the warmth that would never stop seep through his skin and bones. Oozing comfort, it reached its peak only when hearing those words that elevated his heartbeat again, life lines alined in a tender grip, silver chains meeting where their feet touched, “I love you, Jaehyun,” Johnny whispered into their kiss, into the little space of shared breath, “And all your cheesy ways.”

“Forever?” Jaehyun whispered, a so useless question when no one could predict a future that was yet to come, an ability so uncertain, so many possibilities to assess, not even Yuta would be able to tell whether their time together was finite or not.

Yet, in this very moment, in this single word, he thought it to be reassuring enough. Whether it was a lie, a rushed promise, or a word caused by a heated moment, he did not care as much, not when Johnny’s voice was so certain, so safe. “Forever,” he agreed, a promise sealed with another kiss, as their lifelines aligned within their tightened hold. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, finally! This sums it up.
> 
> I actually think I didn't do this story quite as much justice as I could have but reading your every comment of support and encouragement made me really just so happy, I want to express my appreciation and gratitude all over again! I don't think I'd have written it quite as energetically without all your sweet words ❤️
> 
> For the near future and this summer, I have planned a few stories already so if you want to keep up with me and my works, feel free to follow my [twitter](https://twitter.com/starrymeis), or alternatively send me some questions on [curiouscat](https://curiouscat.me/starrymeis)!


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